1854 Wyandotte Village | Ford City | Glenwood & Mt. Carmel | South Wyandotte
22. Site of Joe Kirby House, shipyard supervisor, demolished
Home of Joe “Fitz” Kirby was brother of Frank Kirby whom Eber Ward hired to lead the Wyandotte Iron Ship Building Works in 1870. His brother Joe supervised the works and was a notable inventor himself, holding several patents including an industrial machine used to bend metal.
Joe “Fitz” Kirby managed the Detroit Dry Dock company’s Wyandotte yard until 1899, and also served as mayor.
His house was demolished and replaced by the current commercial block occupied by Superior Ford Auto Dealership, later occupied by Firestone automobile service store before closing in 2003.