Heating the Henry Ford Museum

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HeatingHelp
HeatingHelp Posts: 738
edited September 2025 in THE MAIN WALL
Heating the Henry Ford Museum

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI has an interesting hot-water heating system. Take a look at the radiators below. They are from the Shaw-Perkins Manufacturing Company of Pittsburgh, PA. Click the button above to download the original manufacturer's documentation for these radiators. Thank you to KC_Jones for sharing these photos with us.

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mattmia2HVACNUT

Comments

  • iMustangDude
    iMustangDude Posts: 1

    How Fantastic!

  • RayWohlfarth
    RayWohlfarth Posts: 2,091

    Can you imagine setting the large round one?

    Ray Wohlfarth
    Boiler Lessons
    HVACNUT
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Posts: 16,737
    edited September 2025

    It’s a wonderful museum. I couldn’t stop smiling at those radiators. By chance, I was visiting on the day that Rosa Parks died. I sat for a while in her seat on the bus. That also made me smile.

    Retired and loving it.
    HVACNUT
  • psb75
    psb75 Posts: 1,181

    As a native Michigander I really appreciated this "blast-from-the-past". But, one question: shouldn't all of those prices have been redacted—as per website policy? (I kid).

    PC7060HVACNUTHeatingHelp.com
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,399
    edited September 2025

    I asked them about it and they sent me the architectural specification documents for the heating system. Not only are the documents for the radiators there but also for the boilers and the circulators. the circulators are some sort of separate pump and motor that are specified separately.

    If you dig through the full specification it calls out those union y's that allow 2 radiators to stack under the windows. they were made by crane if I remember right.

    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/170619/heating-at-the-henry-ford
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,399
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1864804#Comment_1864804

    the round ones are actually like 6 radiators next to each other. they are a standard radiator with custom curved headers. it is detailed out in that specification. I remember going there as a kid and seeing one that was hanging partly over the base of the column that had been knocked out of position. I think that was when i realized they were radiators.

  • RayWohlfarth
    RayWohlfarth Posts: 2,091

    They are still heavy LOL Thanks

    Ray Wohlfarth
    Boiler Lessons
    mattmia2

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