Meadow Brook Hall
Meadow Brook Hall is a grand historic estate located in Rochester, Michigan. This country mansion was home to Matilda Dodge Wilson and her second husband, Alfred Wilson, along with their four children. Matilda was the wife of John F. Dodge, co-founder of the Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company. When John and his brother, Horace, passed away of influenza, the widows sold their share of the company for $146 million to Dillon, Read & Company in 1928. This transaction made Matilda one of the wealthiest women in the United States. The original property that John and Matilda owned in 1908 was 320 acres of open farmland along with their farm house. After John’s death, the property expanded to over 1,400 acres of land with a mansion to be the centerpiece of it.
Meadow Brook Hall was designed by William E. Kapp of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, an architecture firm out of Detroit, Michigan. Made with brick, sandstone, wood timbers, and clay shingle tile for the roof, this Tudor-revival style home is the finest example of American architecture. Completed in 1929, the house amounts to 88,000 square feet. It has 4 floors and 110 rooms, making Meadow Brook Hall the fourth largest historic house museum in the United States.
Matilda was very engaged with the designing of her dream home. Staying authentic to the Tudor Revival style of the house, the rooms and spaces are filled with carved paneling, stained glass windows, ornamental plaster and hardware, carved stone elements, mantels, and lighting fixtures. The very detailed interior showcases Matilda’s personality.
Additional buildings accompanied the home on the property, such as the Knole Cottage. It is a ¾ scale playhouse that was gifted to Francis Dodge on her 12th birthday. The other buildings include a garage, greenhouse, clubhouse, tea house, Danny’s Cabin, and a worker’s cottage. The remaining land was used for formal gardens, woodland and most impressively agriculture. The Wilson’s had a huge farming operation that included cattle, stables, dairy, poultry, and crops.
Towards the end of Matilda’s years, she signed an agreement with Michigan State University to donate her estate and $2 million to establish a college to serve southeastern Michigan. Oakland University was built on the property. Supporting Matilda’s belief that history, art, and architecture should be shared with future generations, the home has been open to the public since 1971. In her own words, Matilda believed that “Knowledge of the past helps people face the challenges of the future.” 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!
Make a Difference
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Links and Further Readings
"Meadow Brook Hall NHL Nomination," National Park Service
Meadow Brook Hall Web Gallery, Save MI History
