Serendipity – Part 10
Soon the enormous task of bringing the site and buildings back to their former glory was underway.
I have a passion for history and architecture, which sometimes gets me into situations that are at first way over my head but often end up having rewarding and satisfying outcomes.
Soon the enormous task of bringing the site and buildings back to their former glory was underway.
It was easier and more profitable to sell land scraped clean of obsolete and decrepit buildings.
We went to the township government officials to see if they could acquire the property in order to make it a local historic attraction.
At the end of the week, Ron wrote a comprehensive and glowing report on the PPG underscoring the historic importance of the whole site, not just the airplane hangar.
The Section 106 review puts a halt to demolition while a site is being investigated.
The PPG property had been transferred to the Land Development division of Ford, which gave me a sense of foreboding.
We drove the test track many times over the next few years, dodging protruding rebar to avoid flattening a tire.
This was to be the first in a long line of big and little disappointments during the early days of discovering the PPG.
He described the buildings to me, but when he got to the description of the lodge, I knew I had my mystery building.
I thought there was a good chance that the mystery house on Van Dyke could be a country manor designed for some Packard exec by Kahn. So I started exploring.
The Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site is owned by The Packard Motor Car Foundation & is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It is funded by foundation grants, individual & corporate contributions, service groups & events. All donations to The Packard Motor Car Foundation are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
Packard Proving Grounds
49965 Van Dyke Ave
Shelby Township, MI 48317
(586) 739-4800 – Site