History

Detroit VA Medical Center

In 1937, Henry and Clara Ford donated 38 acres at the corner of Southfield and Outer Drive for use as a Veterans Administration hospital. Ground-breaking ceremonies for the hospital were held on July 27, 1937, with Henry Ford in attendance. Major additions to the original hospital were made after WWII and during the 1960’s. The Allen Park Veterans Administration Medical Center was sometimes referred to as the Dearborn VA Hospital. So many of our current employees remember this facility!

The Allen Park VA hospital was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 6, 1981. The interesting architecture of the building made many take notice. Still, in the early 1990’s, Congress authorized construction of a replacement hospital, now called the John D. Dingell Medical Center. Patients were moved to the new facility on June 2, 1996 and, after prolonged discussion, the Allen Park facility was demolished in 2004. A shopping center now occupies the site, and on August 14, 2005, a granite monument was dedicated as a memorial.

The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center offers services to nearly 350,000 Veterans in Michigan. There have been many additions and improvements made to the new facility over the years, including a 7th Floor Mental Health Outpatient clinic, added in 2013.