'This is a full-circle moment'

Most people across the nation - and likely the world - know that Henry and Clara Ford made their home in Dearborn. It's also common knowledge that Ford revolutionized the automobile industry. But what people may not know is that the Ford 56-room mansion, Fair Lane: Home of Clara and Henry Ford, is reopening to the public in 2027 after a multi-year closure for restoration work. And Devon O'Reilly, a UM-Dearborn graduate, is leading this new chapter in the home's history. O'Reilly, who graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor in Business Administration, is the new president and CEO of Fair Lane.

"This is a full-circle moment for me. I lived in the Ford Homes Historic District, and I could ride my bike here. I came here as a kid and had lunch at The Pool restaurant. As a college student at UM-Dearborn, I'd walk the grounds. Not too long ago, I'd come to events hosted here," says O'Reilly, noting Fair Lane has hosted special events there while closed. "And now this is where I work." He started June 1.

Fair Lane has been closed to the public for extensive historically accurate renovations since 2010, when ownership changed from UM-Dearborn to the Historic Ford Estates. The Fords owned the home from 1915 until Clara died in 1950, and she deeded the land to her grandchildren. Ford Motor Company used the site from 1951 to 1956 as the company archives until Henry and Clara's grandson, Henry Ford II - who led Ford Motor Company as president and CEO during that time - donated the land to the University of Michigan in 1956. From that donation, U-M created the UM-Dearborn campus, which opened in 1959.

Walking through the historic home's rooms, O'Reilly points out the changes the Fair Lane's nearly 30-member staff have made during the time it has been closed. Using historic photos, receipts and other documentation, each room was meticulously restored to the year 1919 down to the patterns in the room's rugs and paint colors on the walls. Just like typical homeowners, the Fords made changes to their home as styles changed. The year 1919 was chosen as the restoration guideline because the house was featured in several publications about architecture that year, including Architecture Magazine and Beautiful Homes of Detroit & Vicinity.

As O'Reilly begins to share more about the home, organ music fills the house. The Historic Resources team plays it twice a week to keep the pipes in tune. Even the home's organ and its 1,241 pipes were replaced during the extensive renovations since neither were in the house when the work began, O'Reilly says. The team found the specs for their original Estey Organ Company organ and had it reproduced. Then, they learned that an old Detroit church with that same organ replaced theirs with a digital one, so the estate purchased their organ's pipes.

Reflecting on the work the estate's team has done over the past decade - the restoration and construction projects, as well as key administrative, development, marketing and visitor experience initiatives - O'Reilly thinks about how to take that work and bring it to the community and beyond.

"We've been so intentional about everything we've done, so it will be more than just opening doors when we reopen in 2027," says O'Reilly, adding that a specific opening date has not yet been determined. He notes that the restaurant in the Pool Room will not reopen and the home cannot accommodate large events like wedding receptions due to the wear and tear these activities would cause. But he and his team are looking at ways to accommodate events in the restored outer buildings like the 2,600-square-foot garage.

"This is a beautiful home and the work and the restoration work is exceptional. That itself is a draw. But even more than that, opening doors gives us the opportunity to share history in an engaging way," he says. "We are thinking about the stories we are going to tell. It's about community building. We are planning programs and thinking about how to best utilize the outdoor space. This place is a gem and something that makes it really special is the care and interest people have for it, myself included. So the community aspect is integral in our plans."

O'Reilly says it's serendipitous to be working just steps away from his alma mater. A life lesson gained while at UM-Dearborn helped guide O'Reilly's decision to make this next step in his career. He says his professors taught with passion - and that left an impression on him. When recalling his time at UM-Dearborn, O'Reilly specifically recalls the enthusiasm of former College of Business educators like the late marketing Lecturer Chris Samfilippo and Management Communications Visiting Professor Jim Vella.

"I got more than a business education while in college. My main takeaway from my time at UM-Dearborn was going after opportunities that follow your passion. If you do something with heart like my professors did, you'll do it well," he says. "I was lucky to find that passion for my work at the chamber and I believe I've found it here too."

Article by Sarah Tuxbury. Photos by Scott Soderberg/Michigan Photography