“Redbud Reveal” Ceremony to be Held Sunday, April 28, at Highland State Recreation Area

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area are proud to announce a season-opening event at Highland State Recreation Area in Highland/White Lake, Michigan. To celebrate the arrival of the 2013 spring and summer season, the “Redbud Reveal” will be held from 12 noon until 4:00 pm on Sunday, April 28. Visitors are encouraged to come and see the historic Haven Hill Gate House, the Edsel Ford Barn, the Carriage House, and informative art and history displays atop Haven Hill.  At 1:00 pm, FOHRA President Mr. Dick Russell will give a public address on the Gate House lawn highlighting the Friends group’s recent activities and event plans for the coming year. Light refreshments will be served among the many new trees planted last fall around Edsel and Eleanor Fords’ beautiful historic estate entrance.

Historic Gate House Garage Opening to the Public

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area are excited to reveal the Gate House Garage interior to the public this year! The Fords’ garage at the Gate House held vehicles ready to shuttle their guests into the Haven Hill estate. New windows have been installed, several sections of beautiful yard fence have been put up, new electrical service has been activated, and the interior walls have been hand-plastered by expert craftsmen. The space will be open to the public from 12 noon until 4:00 pm on April 28 throughout the day of this year’s Redbud Reveal event. A “before and after” photo exhibit of the renovation progress will be on display all day.

Art on the Hill, and Haven Hill Lodge Historic Displays

From 12 noon until 4:00 pm on the day of the Redbud Reveal event, “Art on the Hill” and the Ford Lodge Historic displays will be shown atop beautiful Haven Hill.  Park at the circle hill lot and have an enjoyable stroll up Haven Hill road to see a Haven Hill art exhibit and the historic Lodge displays.  Come and enjoy a spring day in the park!

2012 Redbud Reveal and Art on the Hill, Sunday, April 29

Redbud Reveal 2012

The 2012 “Redbud Reveal” ceremony will be presented on the lawn of the Haven Hill Gate House at Highland State Recreation Area on Sunday, April 29 at 1:00 pm. Our organization’s President, Mr. Dick Russell, will give a kick-off speech for the 2012 spring and summer season. Casual refreshments and snacks will be served.

“Art on the Hill: Maps Art – Haven Hill in Place and Time“
In addition to a few words from Mr. Russell at the Gate House, FOHRA is pleased to announce a 2012 season event series “Art on the Hill” that will debut on Sunday morning. During the day we will display an art show on Haven Hill on the lower section  of this beautiful and historic road. Our first display, “Maps Art – Haven Hill in Place and Time”, was curated using amazing full color graphic maps that were designed, developed, and donated by Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services. The maps depict many fascinating aspects of our local area. Please park at the circle parking lot and walk a short distance to see this outdoor presentation before or after the Redbud Reveal at the Gate House.

Come out and visit historic Haven Hill on Sunday, April 29th!

Fall Colors Peaking on Haven Hill

Head on over to Highland Recreation Area this season and see the wonderful Fall colors throughout the park…

Above: Haven Hill Road as you head into Highland State Recreation Area. Taken October 15, 2010.

Above: Haven Hill as seen from the eastern shore of Haven Hill Lake. October 15, 2010. Photo by Jay Fitzgerald, Friends of Highland Recreation Area.

The colors atop Haven Hill, Oakland county Michigans’ highest natural hill, are equally as spectacular this time of year. Get on out and take a refreshing hike this fall.

Haven Hill Summer Landscaping

Below, the Haven Hill Carriage House rests peacefully in the dappled sunlight of a summer morning on the Hill in Highland State Recreation Area. Nearby, the Friends of Highland Recreation Area (FOHRA) performed some summer landscaping on the Lodge site.

Haven Hill Carriage House, Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Haven Hill Lodge was once the home of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford family.

Above: Haven Hill Lodge Site, July 25, 2010

The Friends group and a WWAM Team from Oakland County completed some routine summer landscaping maintenance on Haven Hill during one of their regularly scheduled work days. Below, Jerry McManus uses the tractor to clear some roadside growth from haven Hill Road.

See the FOHRA website at www.fohra.org for more information on how to volunteer.

The Friends of Highland recreation area also readying Haven Hill, the Edsel Ford Barn, and the Gate House for the summer Haven Hill Festival to occur on Saturday, August 28 from 10 am until 4 pm in Goose Meadow. Check out www.havenhillfestival.com for more info. The event will include a Model A car show, and a vintage base ball game. It is free to the public. State park vehicle fees apply.

FOHRA “Paves the Road” to Haven Hill

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area, the MDNR, and Cadillac Asphalt, L.L.C. worked together to put some much-needed repairs into the Haven Hill Road up to the historic Edsel Ford Carriage House and Lodge site this last weekend.

Some areas required small patches, others whole sections of roadway.

Repairs were in dire need, as sections of the roadway were worsening with the spring run-offs each year.

The team at Cadillac Asphalt put down 30 tons of asphalt into many severe potholes and damaged sections of the old road. Donated manpower, time, and energy were a much-appreciated gift from the folks at Cadillac.

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area are assuming a Lease soon that includes the upper section of the road. Eventually, even the old parking area up near the site will be refinished.

There’s a lot going on with FOHRA at Highland Recreation Area. Come on out and join us as we “pave the road” to saving the historic features of the Recreation Area.