Dearborn’s McFadden-Ross House, a former military powder magazine whose owner rejected an offer from Henry Ford, marked 70 years as a public museum Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The Dearborn Historical Museum marked the anniversary on social media, noting that the building opened to visitors Oct. 27, 1956.
Built in 1839 for the Detroit Arsenal at Dearbornville, the structure became a farmhouse after Nathaniel and Elizabeth Ross purchased it in 1883, according to the museum’s history.
Nathaniel later refused Ford’s offer to buy the property because he was dissatisfied with the price, earning it the nickname “House That Henry Ford Couldn’t Buy.”
The family lived there for nearly seven decades. Their daughter Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” Ross left the property to the City of Dearborn when she died in 1950. Renovations followed before its museum opening.
Today, the house contains exhibits, archives, a gift shop and a basement schoolroom used for the Pioneer School Program for local second graders.
The McFadden-Ross House, 915 S. Brady St., is open Monday through Friday. Admission is free, and donations are accepted. Visitors can find information on the museum’s website or call 313-565-3000.
