Cranbrook Educational Community
In 1904, George Booth, publisher of the Detroit News, and his wife Ellen Booth, purchased a 174-acre run-down farm in Bloomfield Hills. They named the land Cranbrook, after Booth’s family ancestral home in England. A couple of years were spent transforming the farmland into the family’s dream country estate and restoring the dried-up lake on the grounds. George hired the famed Albert Kahn, who designed Cranbrook into a stunning English Arts & Crafts style home. At the family’s request, the home was all American-made, and completed in June of 1908. George and Ellen, along with their five children, moved out of the Detroit suburbs and took up residency at Cranbrook, making them the first family to live year-round in Bloomfield Hills.
The interior of the home bears witness to the love the Booth family had for art and fine craftsmen’s work. Tapestries, wood carvings, furniture, tiles, metalwork, and glass work from American and European leading artisans and crafts firms fills the home. The art collections grew as did the home throughout the years. The grounds consist of multiple acres of formal, woodland, and naturalistic gardens. Throughout the gardens, extravagant sculptures and fountains are displayed, many of which were purchased by the Booth family from England, France, and Italy.
The Booths desired Cranbook to have a larger public purpose. Between 1922-1942, they built and created six institutions on the property: Brookside School, Christ Church Cranbrook, Cranbrook School, Kingswood School, the Institute of Science, and the Academy of Art. This cultural and educational complex fulfilled the Booths dream of having an artistic community in which artists could live surrounded by architecture, art, and nature.
George believed that “a life without beauty is only half-lived.” Today, we have the honor and privilege to visit and take part in his remarkable community that flourishes with beauty. Given to the Cranbrook Foundation after George and Ellen Booth passed away, the landmark is open to the public. This experience and opportunity should be preserved, as we continue to learn from our past through our nation’s treasures. Let’s continue to support our national historic landmarks and Save MI History!
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Links and Further Readings
"Cranbrook (Cranbrook Educational Community)," Michigan State Housing Development Authority
"Cranbrook Educational Community," National Park Service
Cranbrook House & Gardens Web Gallery, Save MI History
