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62
FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1991
398-1944
I BEST OF EVERYTHING I
Dearborn Inn. Retains Heritage
That Made It A Local Landmark
DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist
T
hrough time immem-
orial, visits to historic
places have always
been a highlight of vaca-
tioners . . . But it always
seems strange that those
places to which people come
from far and near to see are
many times overlooked and
taken for granted by folks liv-
ing within its reach.
How many localites have
never been to Greenfield
Village or Ford Museum? .. .
Plenty . . . Yet these places,
for example, are high on the
list of visitors to regions close
or not so close.
Take a place also like Dear-
born Inn . . . It is now a Mar-
riott property, but still retains
much of the heritage which
has made it a Michigan land-
mark.
More than 60 years ago, it
was the first airport hotel in
the U.S. . . . built across the
street from Ford Airport on
Oakwood Boulevard, now
part of the Ford test track .. .
and the first to haul airmail
from Michigan to Chicago.
When its Early American
architecture designed by the
Albert Kahn Co. for $1
million — much, much moola
in those days — was com-
pleted in 1931, it stood among
the world's most beautiful
and luxurious hotels.
No expense was spared to
achieve world prominence on
the site that had previously
been a large sand dune .. .
The beautiful lawns and
gardens today are a result of
hundreds of loads of dirt
brought in many years ago
from the most fertile
farmlands.
Like its Alexandria
Ballroom, whose 3,444 square
feet opened in 1932 accom-
modating 225 guests, Dear-
born Inn Marriott's
149-seater restaurant, Early
American Room, is covered
with double-hung Palladian
windows hardly seen any-
where today . . . so many
small windows opening and
closing by a side chain.
Personable Christopher
Puffer is manager of the
quaintly elegant Early
American Room with its
white tablecloths and white
napkins in a so-very-neat at-
mosphere . . . Before coming
to Dearborn Inn Marriott in
April 1990, Christopher was
assistant manager at the Rat-
tlesnake Club . . . His brother,
Toby Puffer, responsible for
the food that has become even
more popular in the at-
mosphere of historic class,
was a sous-chef at the Rattle-
snake Club.
The Early American Room
still retains its large amount
of classical charm as guests
sit at tables with original
high Chippendale chairs from
the days of its first opening
. . . wooden mahogany backs
and green padded seats .. .
Overhead and on the walls
hang original lighting
fixtures.
In 1934, the Ford Hotel
(Dearborn Inn's first name)
also became one of the first
hotels in the United States
with central air conditioning
. . . So much of the original
charm is still there, with its
antique reproductions and
hand-painted wallpaper.
What had been opened as
an accommodation for
passengers who landed at
Ford Airport became a haven
for visitors from afar to the
Ford Americana Museum,
also known as the Edison In-
stitute of Technology and now
the Henry Ford Museum, is
today not only a prominently
historic landmark but a thing
of beauty with its mahogany
furniture.
In 1936, five colonial replica
houses were built in back of
the hotel with their
registered reproductions of
the original fabrics and wall-
coverings.
In 1987, the hotel closed for
18 months for a restoration of
what it was in yesteryears .. .
with supervision by the
Department of Interior in
Washington, D.C.
Twenty-five million dollars
later, the 179-room hotel
became one with 234 . . . The
Alexandria Ballroom was
joined by a 7,560-square-foot
Dearborn Ballroom holding
500 people and another 3,000
square feet for the Fairlane,
Grosse Pointe and River
Rouge rooms to accommodate
another 150.
Social catering directors
Cheryl Pasluzny and Liam
O'Brien thrill when they can
show people today's Dearborn
Inn Mariott . . . For Liam, it's
old hat but still exciting .. .
He's been at Dearborn Inn for
35 years and the perfect "tour
guide" to show folks around
. . . Cheryl's and Liam's vast
catering knowledge have pro-
moted much popularity.
People love to return to
Dearborn Inn, where they
were married and perhaps
stayed in one of the restored
colonial houses . . . and have
generations follow in their
footsteps for the sake of being
able to attend a function at
Dearborn Inn Marriott .. .
This is high praise.
Dearborn Inn Marriott is
probably one of the few hotels
where people can stay, have a
party or dine and walk
around a large outdoor area
. . . The outside is so very
lovely with its large areas of
green grass and gardens of
flowers galore.
Off the large but intimate
lobby of much comfort with
its cozy-looking fireplace,
print and solid cloth sofas and
padded arm chairs, trees in
large planters, etc., is a cute
little room much like an in-
door porch effect with wicker
furniture, comfortable-look-
In 1987, the hotel
closed for 18
months for a
restoration of what
it was in
yesteryears .. .
ing and more Palladian,
double-hung wooden windows
and doors looking out onto a
garden of beauty.
An outdoor village gazebo
is used very much for wed-
ding ceremonies . . . People
who get married there may
forget a lot of folks who came,
but not that village gazebo
. . . to many their good luck
charm for a life of happiness.
Dearborn Inn Marriott is
more than just a valuable
touch of Americana history
. . . it is better today than ever
before.
CONGRATS . . . to Olga
Berkowitz . . . on her 90th bir-
thday . . . celebrated with par-
ty at R.I.K.'s for family and
friends by children Shirley
and Arnold Becker and Louis
and Marion Berkowitz.
11 YEARS AGO at the
Paradiso Cafe on Woodward
owned by Marcella and Dan
Moody, Nancy Gurwin said
she would open her season
with Annie Get Your Gun .. .
Since four children were
needed to fill the roles of An-
nie's brothers and sisters, she
planned a Sunday afternoon
for casting the kids . . . About
60 showed up with their
moms and dads . . . Among
these excited, talented
youngsters was a boy who ar-
rived looking very dapper in
clean slacks and white shirt,
with music in hand and dad
by his side . . . The little