3 Saving the Lincoln Plant Stonework 7 Leland, Lincoln and the Liberty
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The LINCOLN LINK LINKINGThe TOGETHER LINCOLN ALL ELEMENTS OF THE LINCOLN MOTORLINK CAR HERITAGE 3 Saving the Lincoln Plant Stonework 7 Leland, Lincoln and the Liberty Aircraft Engine 13 Estate Planning 14 A Lincoln with Lindbergh published semi-yearly Volume ii, Number 1 • spriNg, 2004 the lincoln link First Production Lincoln Cars The first twenty production Lincoln automobiles to be manufactured are lined up for inspection prior to delivery to newly appointed Lincoln distributors. The date of the photograph is August 31, 1920. Generally considered to be a 1921 model, the body style is Type 101, a seven-passenger touring car, the first of 1498 of this body type built by Murray. The Lincoln L series chassis carried 104 different body variations in the 66,000 Lincoln L cars built from 1920 through 1930. ON THE COVER: Mark Dietiker and Paul Misholek of Western Waterproofing Co. carefully remove the stone façade of the 1917 Lincoln Motor Company Detroit plant administration building prior to the razing of the buildings in 2002. 2 volume II, number 1 Saving the Lincoln Plant Stonework by John T. Eby ince 1917, the fifty-acre site at the corner of Warren and Livernois Avenues in Detroit, Michigan, has been dominated by a set of mas- Ssive yellow brick and limestone buildings known successively as the Lincoln Motor Company plant, the old Lincoln plant, and the Detroit Edison Yard. The 1917 buildings no longer exist— they were razed in late 2002. This is the chronicle of how a group of preservationists saved a portion of those buildings. The Detroit Lincoln Plant Administration Building immediately before its demoli- tion in the autumn of 2002. The Lincoln Motor Car Foundation coordinated the Henry and Wilfred Leland removal and preservation of key portions of the stone façade of this historic building. built the Warren Avenue Lincoln Motor Company plant complex in verted the Warren Avenue facili- Henry Ford and his family. As the winter of 1917-18 to manu- ties for the manufacture of auto- part of the Society’s activities, facture the Liberty aircraft engine. mobiles, and in 1921 they intro- Mike had diligently spent a great This engine was a high-perfor- duced the “Leland built” Lincoln deal of time during 2001 and mance, U.S.-designed engine motor car. This plant produced 2002 attempting to arrange a tour used in World War I aircraft. The over 400,000 Lincoln motor cars of the Warren Avenue Lincoln engine design accommodated from 1921 to 1952, including the plant for the Society’s member- 4-cylinder, famous L, KA, and KB model ship. 6-cylinder, Lincolns, as well as Zephyrs, The old Lincoln plant was of V-8 and V-12 Continentals and early Mexican particular interest to the member- versions, Road Race Lincolns. When the ship of the Henry Ford although the Ford Motor Company moved Association because the plant and V-12 was the Lincoln vehicle assembly to its equipment was the major asset highest vol- Wayne, Michigan, Ford sold the purchased by Henry Ford as part ume variant Warren Avenue facility to Detroit of the bankruptcy sale of the produced. Edison. Detroit Edison, now a Lincoln Motor Company on The Lincoln part of DTE, used the complex as February 4, 1922. The Lincoln Motor offices, warehouses and a storage Motor Company had, unfortu- Company was yard for almost fifty years. nately, become one of many vic- one of five manufacturers of the Mike Skinner is the dynamic, tims of the 1920-21 post-war V-12 version of the engine during gregarious president of the Henry depression, and was forced into the war and built 6500 of the Ford Heritage Asso cia tion. The receivership just as it was intro- approximately 20,000 V-12’s pro- Association is a very active organi- ducing its new vehicles. The duced. zation dedicated to researching Lelands produced only 3107 After the war, the Lelands con- and preserving the heritage of vehicles before the firm folded. 3 A period aerial view of the Detroit Lincoln Motor plant. The Lincoln manufacturing, engineering and administration complex was originally constructed in 1917 on a fifty-acre site at the corner of Warren and Livernois Avenues. The complex stretched over a half a mile along Livernois Avenue. building shortly after the auction. After a series of dialogues dur- Mike was tenacious in his fol- ing which DTE sought to under- low-up with DTE, and during stand the motives of the Henry one of his September, 2002, tele- Ford Heritage Asso ci a tion and phone conversations with DTE, the Lincoln Motor Car they informed him, “A tour Foundation, in which artifacts the would be impractical, because the Foundation was interested, and buildings are unsafe, and they are what would happen to them after scheduled to be razed. In removal, DTE granted per- fact, they are being mission for the donation demolished as we of major pieces of the speak.” “This is the stone façade of the Mike, a consum- Administration mate preservationist, type of Building. DTE recog- immediately asked if nized the desirability A Ford Motor Company promotional photograph of a 1926 Type 151 the Association could project for of tangibly preserving Lincoln Locke Sport Roadster posed have permission to a portion of the in the driveway of thet Lincoln Plant salvage some artifacts which the buildings, but the Administration Building in from the administra- endorse ment was 1925/26. The Lincoln Motor Car tion building prior to qualified. They did Foundation saved the Lincoln nomen- Foundation its demolition. Mike’s not have any funding clature and decorative stonework on the front of the building in the back- motive in making the exists.” to provide, and removal ground before the building was razed inquiry was to start a of stonework was entire- in 2002. The clock, unfortunately, dialogue with DTE on ly the Foundation’s was removed and lost many years behalf of a sister organiza- responsibility. ago. Photograph courtesy of Ford tion, the Lincoln Motor Car After some dialogue, the Motor Company. Foundation. He knew that that demolition contractor, Homrich, The bankruptcy auction took place group would be vitally interested Inc., who legally held title to the outdoors, on the main steps of the in saving pieces of the plant. The buildings during the demolition, Lincoln administration building, DTE site managers agreed to also granted permission for the and the Lelands and the Fords inquire as to the practicality of stonework donation. Their consummated the sale in the removing some items. endorsement too was qualified. 4 An aerial view of the Lincoln Factory complex in the process of being razed in the autumn of 2002. This plant produced 6500 Liberty V-12 aircraft engines during World War I and over 400,000 Lincoln automobiles during its lifetime. Photograph courtesy of R.A. Place. They did not believe themselves tors. We will be happy to adjust worry. We’re building a Baptist capable of suitably removing our schedule and cooperate with temple about a mile stonework for preservation. “We your contractor, but the stone- from the old are, after all, demolition contrac- work must be removed within Lincoln plant. We’ll two weeks so that our project have our people timing is not further compro- swing past to assess mised.” the project, find you On October 11, 2002, the a qualified masonry Lincoln Motor Car Foundation contractor, and had permission to remove about supervise the job. 2000 pounds of limestone blocks Things like this are from the façade of the second worth saving.” story of the old Lincoln Motor Jerry Capizzi, Earle Brown Company administration build- and Doug Mattix of The Lincoln ing—if they could find a suitable Motor Car Foundation: contractor, provide funding and “Fantastic! You bet that you can have the task completed in two count on us for funding, and we’ll weeks. Enter the “White Knights” recruit some others. This is the . type of project for which the First on the scene was Dick Foundation exists.” They subse- Duncan, one of the founders of quently recruited fellow Jerome-Duncan Ford, a large Foundation members Bob Ford dealership in Sterling Anderson, Bill Gerrard, Alan Heights, Michigan: “I’ve heard of McWade and David Roycroft as your project. Whatever you need, contributors. just ask. You can store or display Rich Voytowich, Ford Motor Mark Dietiker, Paul Misholek, and the stonework at our facility, and Company: “We’ll provide the Jim Strong of Western Waterproofing I’ll arrange for transportation.” press releases and media coordina- spent three days separating and low- Gary Roncelli of Roncelli tion for you, and get you some ering the major decorative granite blocks from the front of the Lincoln Construction, a major commercial coverage on radio and TV and Motor Company Administration contractor, also from Sterling inside Ford. Tell us when and Building. Heights, Michigan: “Not to where.” 5 the lincoln link Gary Roncelli: “We’ve found two outstanding contractors for you, and recommend that you take the lower of the two bids. We’ll donate the supervision, transport, store and clean the stonework, and, if you don’t mind, film the process.” Jason Homrich, Homrich, Inc.: “Pick the dates that are convenient for you and we’ll work around your schedule. We’ll do all we can to assist you.” During October 22- 24, 2002, Western Waterproofing, a historic building restoration contractor, erected scaffolding over the front of the administration building and carefully sawed the joints of seven large limestone blocks over the main entrance of the old Lincoln Motor Company administration building. The major limestone blocks that spell “Lincoln” and the carved, decorative oak leaf branch- es that flanked a long-gone clock were separated with great care The front of the Lincoln Administration building after the surgery to save the from the supporting brick wall and decorative stone pieces.