Meadow Brook Concours D'Elegance 2004
The Life of the Hall: Celebrating 75 Years in our Community
Matilda Dodge Wilson had grand plans for her charming country farm when she and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson, first began work in 1926 on what is now Oakland County’s legendary Meadow Brook Hall. The 88,000 square foot historic mansion features 110 rooms and is inspired by English country manors of the Tudor and Elizabethan periods.
Purchased in 1908 as a weekend retreat, the 320-acre farm offered automobile baron John Dodge and his family much-needed solitude and serenity. Yet, it wasn’t until years later that Matilda — widowed in 1920 and remarried to Wilson in 1925 — envisioned an architectural masterpiece that would become known as one of the greatest private residences ever built in the United States.
Today, Meadow Brook Hall sits on the campus of Oakland University and more than 100,000 guests visit the historic house museum annually for tours, special events, family and educational programs. 2004 is a special year – it’s the 75th anniversary of Meadow Brook Hall and marks the beginning of a 24-month major restoration project to help preserve the Hall for future generations. Through a $7 million gift Oakland University received from the Matilda R. Wilson Fund – a charitable trust Matilda Dodge Wilson established in 1944 – parts of the 75-year-old building will be repaired and restored.
Beginning in May, much of the architectural infrastructure will be refurbished, including foundation and structural repairs as well as repairs to the roof, chimneys, parapets, gutters, windows, doors and stone floors. Original tile work, wall hangings, and plasterwork will be restored, and upgrades will be made to the building’s plumbing, HVAC, mechanical and electrical systems. Work will also be completed on the grounds of the Hall, including its gardens, as well as Knole Cottage – the built-to-scale, fully functioning playhouse of Frances Dodge.
This restoration effort keeps alive Matilda's vision of Meadow Brook Hall being a lasting cultural resource for the community. The repairs will secure the building's integrity and allow Oakland University executives to pursue an endowment to preserve the future of the Hall permanently.
I'm going to eat breakfast. And then I'm going to change the world.