Employees Say Ghosts of Henry & Clara Ford Haunt This Former Inn

The ghosts of Henry Ford and his wife, Clara, are being blamed for frightening the humans who visit the Botsford Inn in Farmington. Why? Because it was where Henry and Clara met for the first time and where they would have a good number of their amorous evenings.

The Botsford Inn was originally constructed in 1836. The inn was known for its gorgeous upstairs ballroom, and this was where the two would dance and enjoy each other’s company until the break of dawn. In 1924, after the city's threats of demolishing the Botsford, Henry bought and relocated the inn, therefore saving it from destruction.

A number of years went by until Henry passed away in 1947. Clara followed in 1950, and the remaining Ford family members took the task of running the inn until 1951. Once Henry & Clara were dead and buried, the strange stuff began to happen.

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Inn employees witnessed what they believed to be paranormal activity. For example, once when the ballroom was set up to accommodate a wedding reception, the staff came in the following day only to discover the silverware setting had been reversed, cups turned upside-down, and chairs moved away from the table. Staff members complained about getting locked in the room, unable to get out. If they stepped away from the door, the latch would unlock on its own. Plus, lights would go on & off by themselves.

The big question: has anyone actually seen one of the Ford ghosts? A customer claimed he was on a stairway when a white, misshapen figure proceeded to push him down the stairs. Was it Henry or Clara?

The Botsford Inn is located at 28000 Grand River Avenue in Farmington. In 1979, it was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. Nowadays it has changed and is part of the Botsford Hospital complex.