The Applewood Estate in Flint, Michigan, was the historic residence and gentleman's farm of Charles Stewart Mott, a prominent General Motors executive. Mott, born in 1875, took over his father's bicycle wire-wheel company in 1900, expanding it to make automobile axles. He strategically moved his business to Flint, near the burgeoning auto industry, and by 1908, he was well-positioned for success when General Motors began. Mott eventually became GM's largest stockholder by 1942, served as a vice president for over 20 years, and was elected Flint's mayor three times. In 1926, he established the C.S. Mott Foundation, adding philanthropy to his extensive resume.
Mott, despite his industrial success, was deeply fascinated by farming. In the early 1900s, he and his first wife, Ethel Harding, established Applewood on 64 acres within Flint city limits, named to honor his family's apple-growing heritage. Though considered small for a gentleman's farm, it included a chicken coop, corn crib, pigsty, hay barn, and an extraordinary brick barn. Mott candidly acknowledged the high costs of his farming enterprise but believed the benefits outweighed the expenses. He enjoyed overseeing staff who raised cattle, worked with Belgian and Percheron draft horses for farm tasks, and cared for riding horses, a 1-acre orchard, and a vegetable garden. Detailed records were kept by the farm manager, Arthur Hatherly, on production like seed potatoes, eggs, and hay.
The centerpiece of the farm was the 1916 brick barn, designed by Herbert Davis in the Jacobean Revival style, matching the main house. This unique barn featured copper gutters, stalls for horses, Louden "triple post call stall" stanchions for six prize-winning Holstein-Friesian cows, maternity and calf pens, and storage. It had gravity-fed watering cups for cows, an "Emancipator" Louden litter carrier for manure disposal, and grapple hooks for hay. Cork floors provided comfort and better joint health for animals, and a heated water system kept the farm manager's office warm and prevented animal drinking water from freezing. The barn also included pigeon cotes, with pigeons helping control pests, and squab being a popular dish at the time. Mott's journal entries often reflected his gentleman farmer status, such as his New Year's Day greeting to his animals.
Mott was known for his community generosity. In 1951, he donated 32 acres of pasture and cropland to the Flint board of education, along with a significant cash gift, to establish Flint Community College. Upon his death in 1973, the institution was renamed Mott Community College. The remainder of Applewood passed to his fourth wife, Ruth Rawlings, and eventually to the foundation named in her honor. Ruth Mott spearheaded the restoration of Applewood, transforming the chicken coop and main barn into educational spaces with exhibits and classrooms focused on agriculture, even bringing in live animals for events. The Applewood Estate, now reduced to 34 acres, is open to the public from May through October, offering free access and educational programs focused on its historical, agricultural, and cultural significance. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
