HISTORY
Trowbridge Farms was established in 1920 by prominent developer, Judson Bradway. An advertisement placed in the July 1927 Bloomfield Hills Afterglow magazine reads:
"Comprising 180 acres and considered the most beautiful tract of wooded, rolling land in the Bloomfield Hills district. Lying on the east of Woodward Avenue just beyond Lone Pine Road. Beautiful gravelled drives. Rigid restrictions. Here some of the finest Bloomfield Hills estates will be built, on 2 to 6-acre sites. In all Judson Bradway residential developments, careful building restrictions prevail. The owner is assured that every new home built will increase the value of his property."
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Brief History
Prehistoric Mastodon once roamed the area more than 250 centuries ago, and later, Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes occupied the land. 1820 Deacon Elijah S. Fish builds a log home and establishes a Presbyterian church in his barn on the northeast corner of Warrington and Woodward. Fish served on the Oakland County Grand Jury, Bloomfield Board of Inspectors and chaired the Oakland County Anti-Slavery Society. Click here to read a detailed description by Fannie Fish of our neighborhood in the earliest days of its settlement. 1851 Trowbridge Farm established. Rowland Ebenezer Trowbridge, a United States Congressman from Michigan's 4th congressional district from 1861–63 and again from 1865–69, worked on agricultural policy and was Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture during the 40th United States Congress. For most of his life he remained a farmer but resumed a role in federal politics from 1880–81 as Commissioner of Indian Affairs for President Rutherford B. Hayes. 1857 In 1857 the remaining 31-acre Fish farm and house were sold to Eri Benedict, whose descendants lived there until 1966. The Fish's original house was demolished in the late 1970's. 1920 Judson Bradway begins development of Trowbridge Farms. 1924 Arthur C. Born builds "Nestledown." Born was a founder of Oldberg Manufacturing Co., a Detroit manufacturer of primarily mufflers. 1925 Thomas W. Taliaferro builds "Hilltop." Taliaferro was Vice President and General Manager of Hammond, Standish and Co. in Detroit. 1930 Woodward widening project relocates railroad tracks through Trowbridge Farms. The State of Michigan agrees to build a bridge at Trowbridge Court as compensation for loss of land and fragmentation of the neighborhood. Click here for Trowbridge Court Bridge Details ABOUT RULES & REGULATIONS DUES HISTORY CONTACT |
Historic Maps
Select a map from the list below. Trowbridge Farms location: S.E. ¼ of Section 14, and the S.W. ¼ of Section 13 and the N.E. ¼ of Section 23, T. 2 N. R. 10 E. 1817 1820 1872 1908 1915 Aerial Map Commissioned by Bradway 1947 Interactive Aerial Maps 1940-2017 
Early 1900's car on Woodward as seen looking north near Trowbridge and Woodward.
Newly paved Woodward and DUR (Detroit Interurban Electric Railway) tracks as seen looking north from near Trowbridge and Woodward c. 1916.
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