I am so fortunate to live close to the Henry Ford Museum (now just called The Henry) and Greenfield Village (https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/venues/henry-ford-museum-of-american-innovation.) The Henry Ford is an indoor museum focused on American Innovation throughout history, with a large portion focused on the evolution of the automobile. Greenfield Village is described as an outdoor 81-acre living history museum. Curators working in the Village appear in period appropriate dress and methods for such activities as farming, cooking, glass blowing or candle making. The Village features over 80 historic buildings that have been relocated from their original sites to be preserved in this setting for generations to learn about and enjoy.
One such relocated building…and my absolute favorite in the entire Village…is the Cotswold Cottage.
Henry Ford, who is responsible for establishing the Museum and Village for the education and enjoyment to the public in June 1933, loved the Cotswold region of England. His affection for the area and its architecture caused him to investigate the possibility of acquiring a cottage for relocation to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. In 1929 Henry Ford instructed his agent in England, Herbert Morton, to search for and purchase on his behalf a modest cottage with as many pretty local features as possible. It was not an easy task, for those cottages that fulfilled the requirements, the owners were unwilling to sell.
Mr. Morton was driving through the village of Lower Chedworth when he saw the perfect property and began to wonder how he might approach the owner about selling when he chanced by a real estate office and posted in the window was the exact property listed for sale. He purchased the 17th century cottage from Margaret Smith in April of 1929 for $5,000.
Henry Ford then had the entire cottage, barn and the dry-stone walls that surrounded it dismantled and shipped to the United States to be reassembled at its current location within Greenfield Village.
The Cotswold Cottage was fully restored in time for the Village’s opening to the public in June of 1933. I found this information along with the black & white photographs on the Henry Ford Website; if you would like to read a more in-depth account on the history of this building and to see more photographs, please check out this link, https://www.thehenryford.org/collections/explore/articles/cotswold-cottage-from-english-village-to-greenfield-village …it is a fascinating story!
Today the Cotswold Cottage is used to host afternoon tea in its courtyard surrounded by mature gardens and its beautiful stone wall. On this day I was fortunate enough to share the experience with my good friend, who was visiting form out of town.
First glimpse of the courtyard approaching the Cotswold Cottage…
The front of the Cottage standing from just outside the stone wall…
The gorgeous gardens of the Cotswold Cottage wrap around the entire building. A huge variety of plants ensure that something is always blooming from Spring through Autumn.
The tea was fabulous! I do not care for goat cheese and the staff swapped out the cucumber-goat cheese finger sandwich with another cherry chicken salad sandwich. I chose the lavender earl grey hot tea, served in my own pot…it was wonderful. I also appreciated being served with porcelain dishes and true silverware.
The Cotswold Garden Tea is a popular event at Greenfield Village and only runs from 11:00 to 3:00. The staff do a great job seating and serving in a timely manner, but you may want to consider arriving early to ensure you get a table before the last seating at 3:00pm.
It is truly amazing to consider that a 17th century cottage that once stood in the Cotswold area of England serving as a home to generations of families is still being used and appreciated four centuries later! This truly is a living history.
The Wallace Adventure! 