Gerald R. Ford Boyhood Home, Grand Rapids

The Gerald R. Ford Boyhood Home is a preserved Colonial Revival house that holds significant historical importance. Built around 1910, this 2½-story weatherboarded home is noted for its charming architecture, including a front porch supported by sturdy pillars, side gabled roofs, and a prominent wide dormer. Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States, lived in this house from 1921 to 1930, between the ages of 8 and 17. The home is situated in the historic Heritage Hill neighborhood, an area known for its architectural richness.

Ford remembered this residence most vividly among his boyhood homes, as he described in his autobiography. It was here that he internalized life lessons from his family, such as the importance of hard work, honesty, and discipline. During his years at the Union Avenue house, Ford attended Madison School and later South High School, where he excelled in academics and athletics, earning All-State honors as a football center. The garage at the back of the house became a favorite hangout spot for Ford and his friends, who used the upper level as a secret club where they played penny-ante poker—a hideaway his parents rarely visited.

The home underwent a meticulous exterior restoration in 2013, which involved seven paint colors and more than 500 hours of work, ensuring its historical authenticity. Today, the house stands as a testament to Ford’s early life and the values he carried into his political career, which included serving as a U.S. Representative for Grand Rapids from 1949 to 1973 and later becoming President of the United States.