History

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<h1 class="title">The History of Durant-Dort Factory One</h1>

<p>Factory One tells the stories of the visionaries and innovators who helped revolutionize personal transportation around the world.</p>

<p>Located just north of downtown Flint, the factory dates to 1880, when it was built by the Flint Woolen Mills company as a short-lived venture into cotton textiles. In 1886, William Crapo “Billy” Durant and business partner Josiah Dallas Dort leased the facility and formed the Flint Road Cart Company – which became the Durant-Dort Carriage Factory and one of the largest carriage builders in the world.</p>

<p>Eventually, Durant would take control of another company – Buick Motor Co. – and leverage his Durant-Dort resources to grow the young automaker into one of the most successful car companies in the country. Durant used Buick’s success to build General Motors in 1908 and turned to his friends from Flint’s carriage industry to form Chevrolet in 1911.</p>

<p>The carriage market eroded with the seismic societal shift to automobiles, and the Durant-Dort Carriage Company ended production at Factory One in 1917. The building and others in the complex were converted to manufacture automobiles for the new Dort Motor Company until that business ceased operations in 1924.</p>

<p>In the more-than 130 years since Durant and Dort set up shop at Factory One, it housed countless other businesses and was renovated in the 1980s, before falling into disrepair.</p>

<p>GM purchased Factory One in 2013 and transformed it, with the goal of preserving and showcasing the original architecture.</p>

<p>The renovation of Factory One as a modern archive and research center brings the facility full circle, preserving the shared heritage of GM and Flint as a learning tool for future generations.</p>

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<a href="/assets/history/bio-josiah-dallas-dort.pdf" download onclick="CQ_Analytics.record({event: 'startDownload', values: { downloadLink: '/assets/history/bio-josiah-dallas-dort.pdf' }, collect: false, options: { obj: this, defaultLinkType: 'd' }, componentPath: 'foundation/components/download'})" title="" class="cq-dd-file">Bio: Josiah Dallas Dort</a>

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<h1 class="title">Durant-Dort Factory One: A Timeline</h1>

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<h2>1880</h2>

<p>The Flint Cotton & Woolen Mills Company builds a new cotton mill on Water Street.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Jan 14</span>-->

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<h2>1886</h2>

<p>William Crapo Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort form the Flint Road Cart Company and lease the former cotton mill, which had closed earlier that year, for $25 a month.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Jan 18</span>-->

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<h2>1896</h2>

<p>The Flint Road Cart Co. is incorporated as the Durant-Dort Carriage Company.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Jan 24</span>-->

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<h2>1900</h2>

<p>Durant-Dort Carriage Company is the No. 1 producer of horse-drawn carriages in the country. Durant and Dort’s “Blue Ribbon” carriages make them millionaires.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 14</span>-->

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<h2>1903</h2>

<p>David Dunbar Buick moves from Detroit to Flint and forms the Buick Motor Company. Automobiles start to appear on the streets of Flint.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 18</span>-->

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<h2>1904</h2>

<p>Durant is asked to take over management of Buick, leveraging Durant-Dort Carriage Company assets. Other acquisitions would follow.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1908</h2>

<p>Durant forms a new company with his automobile acquisitions: General Motors.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1911</h2>

<p>Durant is ousted from GM for the first time. He partners with Louis Chevrolet to create the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and names Dort its president the following year.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1913</h2>

<p>Dort steps down from Chevrolet and ends his partnership with Durant.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1915</h2>

<p>Dort starts the Dort Motor Car Company.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1916</h2>

<p>Durant is back for his second run at GM’s helm.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1917</h2>

<p>Factory One and others in the Durant-Dort complex are converted to manufacture automobiles for the Dort Motor Car Company.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1920</h2>

<p>Durant is ousted from GM a second and final time.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1921</h2>

<p>Durant establishes Durant Motors.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1933</h2>

<p>Durant Motors closes as the Great Depression deepens.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1928-1970s</h2>

<p>After the Dort Motor Company folds, the building becomes home to the Brandt Wholesale Paper Company, beginning an era of warehousing and commercial use. During the next several decades, it houses a succession of wholesale grocers, furniture warehouses and paper and stationery companies.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1980s</h2>

<p>An era of use for offices, retail, medical and social services agencies begins. As part of an effort to preserve the Carriage Town area and develop it as an artistic hub, restoration of Factory One begins. An antique mall and gift stores are among the tenants.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>1990s</h2>

<p>The Center for Gerontology, an office for then-Congressman Dale Kildee, and the Blarney Stone Restaurant move in.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>2000-2013</h2>

<p>The building primarily houses medical and social services offices.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>2013-14</h2>

<p>GM purchases the Factory One building and begins exterior restorations.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>2015</h2>

<p>GM announces the building will be an archive, research, meeting and community center.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>2016</h2>

<p>Interior restoration work begins.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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<h2>2017</h2>

<p>A fully renovated Factory One hosts its grand opening.</p><!--<a href="#0" class="cd-read-more">Read more</a>

<span class="cd-date">Feb 26</span>-->

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