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Dearborn Inn, Colonial Homes

Project Size: 19,690 SF

Keys: 18

Completion: 2025

Location: Dearborn, MI

During a 1935 visit to the San Diego International Exposition, Edsel Ford was inspired by California hotel designs featuring a central building and surrounding guest cottages. Soon after, architect Charles M. Hart proposed a historic village concept to complement The Dearborn Inn and reflect the preservation spirit of the era. These Colonial Homes would echo the visitor experience at nearby Greenfield Village. Hart’s original plan included eighteen buildings behind the Inn, with landscaping by Marshall L. Johnson. These structures were to be replicas of homes belonging to notable Americans. However, with the onset of World War II, the plan was scaled back, and only five buildings were constructed. These replicated the homes of Walt Whitman (Melville, NY), Edgar Allan Poe (Fordham, NY), Barbara Fritchie (Frederick, MD), Oliver Wolcott (Litchfield, CT), and Patrick Henry (Red Hill, VA).

Three of the buildings—the Poe, Whitman, and Wolcott houses—were modeled after existing structures. The Fritchie and Henry homes were recreated from drawings and plans. While the exteriors were faithful reproductions, the interiors were adapted for use as hotel guestrooms. Special attention was given to preserving architectural details such as staircases, fireplaces, and woodwork. The expansion received both local and national acclaim for its historical sensitivity and design.

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Kraemer Design Group (KDG) was later hired as the architect of record to oversee renovations of these colonial homes to modernize their interior appearance to blend with the newly renovated Main Inn. KDG coordinated all consultants, including interior designers Saquez & Dash. Given the small scale of the houses—only 18 keys total—the budget required careful management. The renovation scope focused on updating furniture, finishes, and lighting, and creating one accessible guestroom.
The guestrooms had seen minimal upgrades over the years. A major request from Marriott was to increase the number of electrical outlets to meet modern traveler needs. This posed a challenge due to hazardous materials within the interior walls. To address this, power was added using strategically placed wiremold, to minimize its visual disturbance on the design.
KDG also provided FF&E procurement services through its subsidiary, Intramode. The project balanced historical charm with contemporary hospitality standards, ensuring the Dearborn Inn’s colonial homes remained both functional and true to its original vision.