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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 116-117

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Real estate development -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Township -- History

Farms -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Township -- History

William Gersensohn House (Bloomfield Township, Mich.)

GB01a060

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

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FARMS GIVE WAY TO SUBDIVISIONS Wherever you live in Bloomfield Township or Bloomfield Hills or Birmingham, your land was once part of someone's farm. Most of the farms of the turn-of-the-century period were large, being 250 to 350 acres. Earlier landholdings were even larger, with upwards to 500 and 600 acres representing one holding. If you would like to know whose farm your house stands on, the following list will probably tell you. Ward's Acres, in the northwest corner of the Township, was one of the first subdivisions platted, followed closely by Judson Bradway turning the old Hupp Farm into Bloomfield Village. He also developed Bloomfield Estates and Eastover Farms. The Mercer Farm on the south side of Maple became Westchester Village, and in the northeast corner of the village several farms became Chapel Hills when platted into residential lots. Almost 20 years ago Hickory Heights at Adams and Wattles Roads became one of the largest subdivisions in the Township. Some 18 years ago the Broughton Fruit Farm between Quarton and Walnut Lake Roads on the west side of the Township became Kirkwood subdivision, and the Leland Forman farm was subdivided into Knob Hill. The Forman brothers, Leland, Bill and Bert, were all fruit growers in the Township for many years. Their orchards became the Dells of Bloomfield and the Braes of Bloomfield. Another fruit farm, the Case farm, became Orchard Valley and Hilltop subs and a great deal of the Pickering fruit farm became Franklin Woods sub. The Sly farm became one of the largest subs, Sly Farms, at the intersection of Franklin Road and Maple. Birmingham Farms west of Telegraph between 14 and 15 Mile Roads was developed 20 years ago from the Colby farm. Meadowlake Farm was from a pioneer settlement of the Grinnell family. The Pope estate, north of Lone Pine and east of Franklin, became Bloomfield Heights.