Back in January 2007, I posted a photo of the Henkel Mansion in Ford City.
I recently stumbled across this article in the Border Cities Star, dated September 5, 1925:
New Ford Administration Building
The magnificent building shown above, was until last spring, the Henkel Mansion in Ford City. With the extensive beautiful grounds on which it stands, this structure was acquired last spring by the Ford City Parks Board, and has since been offered to the municipality for an administrative building. The grounds surrounding this building have been turned over to the town as a ready made park, and with the purchase of additional lands adjoining this property, Ford is now in possession of a municipal park and athletic field that is not equaled anywhere in the Border Cities.
Quite the mansion. That stretch of Riverside Drive was once known as Millionaires Row. Today, only the Frank Joyce house remains.
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To everyone who came out last night, thank it was great to see you.
Special thanks to both Jim and Jamie. Jamie, it was nice to finally meet you.
Have a good weekend everyone, see you back here Monday.
What a gorgeous building! It’s a shame it didn’t survive.
I have to ask, who was Robert Henkel?
In addition to Brendan’s question, I have to ask where this originally was on Riverside drive. What is there now? Which is the Frank Joyce house?
The Joyce house is on the west side of George at Riverside (south side). This house was on the s.e. corner of George and Riverside.
Also – Henkel is described as “an industrialist”.
I’m, not certain, but I believe he owned and operated several flour mills.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanm/501281766/
Thanks for posting this Andrew.
I lived on Henkel Place for many years. The history behind the street is that it was apparently a part of the back entrance driveway for the mansion – or so the legend I heard went. I doubt the mansion lasted much past 1925 (maybe until the 1950s?) because the houses on Henkel, although not ‘old’ by any means, are still well established.
The Joyce mansion has changed hands a bit, for those that don’t know – was a long-time nun convent, now a residence for kids who go to Academie Ste. Cecile.
‘Windsor Bathing Beach’ on the map above – very interesting. I always wondered why the Eastern end of Alexander Park’s shoreline still has a very small natural beach past the iron fence, while the rest of the park’s shoreline has been dredged quite deep – now I know!
I was looking at the DTE Aerial Photos:
http://tools.comm.wayne.edu/media/low_res/aerial_photos/indexold.htm
Here is the house still there in 1949:
Gone in the 1952 photo:
I recall this house and can relate it if this message gets through Thank you
I had a pal in grade school whose father & mother were live- in caretakers in 1948-49 , when it was known as The Frontier Badminton Club . His father, a Mr. Rankin also served as bartender for the weekend parties of the club . The lot would have many Packard and Buick , Cadillacs etc. and we would play among them . The grounds were in neglected condition at that time , but the house was still in good shape , at least to my 8 year old’s opinion , there was a circular cement pond in the rear , dry and cracked ,as well as a cement dug out fruit cellar on the east side of the house . The driveway from George Ave ,was about midway between Wyandotte and Riverside Dr. and led to a large garage with an apartment above , it was rented to a family at the time . The lane then led north to the house . I stayed there a number of days during the summer and remember being in awe of the size of the house with its numerous bedrooms and baths . The main room was a huge room that had a vaulted ceiling that went to the roof , it was lined with about 8 chesterfields and a piano and a juke box . It had a raise stage where the bay window was located and a table that had the first T V set I had seen in my life , it was a Philco with a 7 in. screen and had a magnifying glass in front to enhance it’s size as well as a cellophane panel that contained 3 lines of different colours . I was glad to see the photo of the mansion , as I had nothing but memories of the place . I did have a picture of my friend standing by a gate post on the east end of the circular driveway , but it is long gone .The next year I changed schools and lost touch with my friend so I never returned the next summer and have no recollection of the time of demolition .
During the 1920’s my paternal grandfather William Girard was the Fire Chief of Ford City and he had 11 children and a place to live. Ford City had leased the John Bahr Home.( which is a bed and breakfast now across from the Alexander Park). John Bahr was the editor of the Detroit News at the time and he and his family built that gabled home in 1884. My grandfather lived there for several years in the 1920’s and just east of that house next to the Joyce estate was the Joinville Mansion. That house was moved further down Riverside to make way for the Joinville apartments. The house my grandfather lived in had a beautiful manicured lawn that he quickly plowed and grew a crop of tomatos and corn to feed his family. The backyard stetched to Wyndotte and had an magnificient orchard with a few Jesuit pear trees among the other frit trees there. My dad’s older sisters were teen agers at the time and they were embarrased that my grandfather was so practical. All the other mansions had there beautiful lawns intact and I could imagine how that stood out in the neighbourhood. I remember back in the 1960’s when that stretch of Riverside between George and Strabaine was lined with beautiful homes and now they are all gone lik so many more in this city. I was told that the reason that the Bed and Breakfast is still around is because the property sits on a gas main and can’t be used. And that the Bridge Co owns the property too.