Former Ford Automobile Branch Factory in Arabi LA

Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, Arabi Louisiana

Date added: March 10, 2025

2-story front facade/south elevation (2018)

Do you have an update on the current status of this structure? Please tell us about it in the comments below.

The Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Arabi, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, was one of over three dozen branch assembly plants that Ford opened between 1911 and 1932 throughout the United States as part of the company's expansion efforts to meet an insatiable demand for its automobiles, particularly the Model T. America's entrance into World War I in 1917 suspended the company's development plans, but as wartime recovery gave way to the economic boom of the 1920s, when the Arabi plant was constructed, Model Ts grew so popular that they soon comprised half of all cars in the United States.

The incredible popularity and success of the Model T was the result of Henry Ford's relentless efforts to innovate, streamline, and economize, a trait that came to define his landmark career. The Arabi plant was born out of this era of invention and ingenuity and continues to embody this history today.

Ford Motor Company and the Early Automobile Industry in the New Orleans Area

New Orleans, like most cities, first experienced the automobile as an expensive luxury that served little purpose beyond racing and leisure entertainment for the upper classes. The lack of an early market for cars is evident in city directories. In 1900, there are no listings for automobile dealers. The few cars sold in the city during this period were supplied through businesses like wagon and bicycle dealers and blacksmiths, all common purveyors of automobiles in the era before dealerships and sales agencies. In 1905, there are five automobile dealerships listed, including a bicycle company, and all were located in the city's business district.

In 1908, a group of 50 automobile enthusiasts formed the New Orleans Automobile Club with a two-fold purpose: to campaign for better roads and to organize and promote the city's viability on the racing circuit, an increasingly popular pastime around the country. In November of that year, the national journal The Automobile reported on the new club, writing that "[t]he Crescent City has at last awakened to the fact that she has all of the advantages, both natural and otherwise, of becoming the automobile center of the South and the automobile racing center for the whole country during the winter months." The club soon combined with the Motor League of Louisiana, which was similarly dedicated to the improvement of roads statewide. These organizations' activities were credited with stoking enthusiasm and increasing local automobile sales, and in 1911 the New Orleans Item reported that "from 450 cars in use in 1908, when the club was organized, the city has grown in car numbers until more than 1600 are now in use here." The introduction of the affordable Model T Ford in 1908 was also a factor locally. In December of that year, the New Orleans Item hosted a giveaway of the new Ford, which it described in glowing fashion:

You will find a car out of the ordinary and one that would make you proud to own. It is not a large car, but one of the kind that appeals to every lover of automobiles. All the latest appliances have been added to the [illegible] Model Ford, and it is as good as most of the cars that sell for twice the amount of this one. This car sells for $1050 in New Orleans and can not be bought for one cent less; in fact, it is hard to get them at any price, for the factory can hardly supply the demand.

The real turning point in New Orleans's automobile industry occurred soon thereafter. In 1911, the New Orleans Item wrote that "during 1909 and 1910 automobile agencies grew up like mushrooms. New garages were built and many agencies were established. Firms formerly handling carriages and harness went into the business … Some of the agencies already established built larger garages and machine shops to take care of their growing trade … Today hundreds of handsome torpedo and four-door models with low-raking lines are a common sight."

In August 1916, Ford Motor Company established a local presence by opening a branch agency at 2120-30 Canal Street, one of 34 agencies the company opened nationwide that year. By this time, Ford cars were so popular that they comprised half of all automobiles in New Orleans, according to the Times-Picayune. Like those in other cities, the New Orleans agency managed distribution for the surrounding territory, supplied parts and accessories, and was equipped with a service station for Ford owners. In its coverage of the opening, the Times-Picayune reported that the branch manager believed "that with the business prospects as they are it will not be a year before the Ford branch has outgrown its present quarters and that it is probable that ultimately the Ford company will put in a big assembling plant in New Orleans, purchasing ground for that purpose and erecting a suitable building as has been done at other points." Seven years later, this prediction was realized at the Arabi facility.

Arabi's Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant

Ford Motor Company's Arabi assembly plant was first announced in local newspapers in the summer of 1922. Rather than build within Orleans Parish, Ford's chosen site was located a few miles downriver from New Orleans's business district in a section of neighboring St. Bernard Parish known as Arabi. The large parcel was located adjacent to railroad lines and at the shores of a large body of water in keeping with Ford's location criteria for postwar assembly plants, with ample vacant land around it for future expansion. Although it was not technically located in New Orleans, the plant was referred to interchangeably as both the "Arabi" and the "New Orleans" plant, and it was celebrated in both parishes for the substantial economic benefits it promised. The number of jobs it created was substantial; starting with 600 men in its first year, the plant ultimately employed over 1,000 workers at peak production. In addition, nearby landowners anticipated that the plant would attract residential development in the area as well as new businesses and industry, while the New Orleans States wrote that "When any city gets linked up with the fortune and business acumen of Henry Ford, it is [illegible] for its Chamber of Commerce to toot long and loud on its trombone. It has something to blow about … Whenever the wizard of the flivver makes a move it sounds like real money. It's the kind of jingle that is balm to Wall Street ears."

The New Orleans Item emphasized the impact of the new enterprise on New Orleans's port, writing that "the importance of a manufacturing establishment of this size to New Orleans cannot be overestimated and the volume of shipping will add substantially to the rapidly gaining shipping records of the port." According to press coverage, the plant was intended to supply the Latin and South American markets via the New Orleans port, but there is scant evidence that this export activity actually took place. Similarly, it appears Ford planned to construct a dedicated dock in front of the plant for incoming and outgoing ships, but Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps indicate that such a dock was never executed. Most sources indicate that the primary market for the Arabi plant was domestic, specifically Louisiana, Mississippi, and part of Alabama. Ford did utilize the city's port, but Arabi's role in supplying international markets from New Orleans remains uncertain.

The plant officially opened in April 1923. Like Ford's other postwar assembly plants, it was "built to the standard Ford specifications for branch building, of brick and white stone, with special provisions for lighting and ventilation so that cool and comfortable working conditions will be maintained." In its first year of operation, with a capacity of 250 cars daily (60,000 per year), the plant produced 44,679 assembled cars and trucks, which supplied 220 Ford dealers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Parts were delivered by ship from Michigan to the Charbonnet Street wharf in the Lower Ninth Ward, offloaded onto freight cars, and delivered by rail to the plant site, while completed automobiles and service parts traveled in freight cars from the plant to various distribution points.

The Arabi plant closed for a year when Ford ceased production of the Model T in 1927 and began production of the new Model A. The facility reopened once it was updated to assemble the new model and, in 1929, it broke production records with an average output of 300 cars per day. In November 1929, at the dawn of the Great Depression, Ford was optimistic that 1930 would be its busiest year ever. Surveys at that time indicated that Fords comprised 48 percent of all automobiles sold in Louisiana, 52 percent in Mississippi, and 58 percent in Alabama. And indeed, 1930 and 1931 were strong years for the Arabi plant, but it was not enough to survive the Depression, and in December 1931 the plant was shuttered. It reopened briefly in 1932, prompting business leaders to celebrate it as a "signal of better times," and in early 1933 Ford sales increased an incredible 386 percent in the New Orleans area, but it was not enough to keep the plant operational. Assembly operations permanently ceased in 1933, and the facility was converted into a Ford parts and distribution center.

History of Ford Motor Company

In 1903, Henry Ford (1863-1947) founded Ford Motor Company on Piquette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, with the production of his Model A automobile, a sturdy little car that topped out at 28 mph. Ford was one of several small companies that got its start in the early days of the automotive industry, when cars were considered a novel luxury limited to the leisure class, and wagons/buggies, trolleys, and bicycles remained the primary modes of transportation. Nevertheless, Ford's Model A met with some success and kept Ford in business long enough to design the world's first mass-market car, the Model T, also known as the "Tin Lizzie," which debuted in 1908. The Model T was basic, reliable, and, importantly, affordable, which put it within reach of mass America. Known as "the universal car," it was off-road capable and customizable, making it an appealing investment for farmers and urbanites alike and a popular export to countries around the world."' In production from 1908 until 1927, when the 15-millionth unit was assembled, the Model T Ford revolutionized the automotive industry on a global scale. According to historian Douglas Brinkley, this car was particularly significant because it "plant[ed] the seeds for the growth of the middle class...[by] creating a near universal demand with a pragmatic, high-quality product formerly considered a luxury item." But it was only the first of many such revolutions credited to Ford and his empire of innovation.

By 1909, Ford had sold ten thousand Model Ts and could barely keep up with demand. He soon realized the inadequacies of his Piquette Avenue plant, and in January 1910 he opened a new facility on a 60-acre tract in suburban Highland Park on the outskirts of Detroit. Designed by industrial architect Albert Kahn, the Highland Park plant was at the time the largest manufacturing facility in the world. It was at Highland Park in 1913-14 that Ford famously instituted the moving assembly line, another company innovation that transformed the automotive industry. Consisting of a metal conveyor belt operated by flywheels, the new system created substantial savings in time and labor, making it possible to produce more automobiles in less time. Within the first year of use, Model T production nearly doubled; eventually, it increased from a handful to several hundred vehicles per day, far surpassing that of competitors.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company was grappling with how to improve its sales, marketing, and distribution systems to meet and fuel demand for its products. Between 1905 and 1910, the company's sales and marketing managers, James Couzens and Norval Hawkins, established several branch agencies around the country to better control local sales, pricing, and customer service. Instead of relying on third-party dealers and distributors who worked on commission, the new Ford-controlled branch agencies sold directly to consumers as well as to some regional distributors, whose pricing the company now dictated, and also stocked parts, provided repairs and servicing in areas that previously had none, and, eventually, expanded into final vehicle assembly. The earliest branch agencies were typically located in a city's business district in a leased multi-story building. However, assembly work soon proved to require its own facility, and in 1911, Ford opened its first purpose-built assembly plant in Kansas City, Missouri. By the spring of 1913, there were 11 assembly plants under construction, from California to Massachusetts. In 1917, when America entered World War I, Ford was operating 29 assembly facilities outside of Michigan. These early plants, nearly all of which were designed by Albert Kahn, were usually 3 to 4 stories in height, with uses typically separated by floor, and most were either built with or retrofitted for a moving assembly line modeled after Highland Park.

In 1917, Ford began construction of its River Rouge plant, a massive manufacturing center in Dearborn, Michigan. Adjacent to rail lines and the River Rouge, which Ford dredged to serve as a harbor, the new super plant was intended as a self-sufficient enterprise that could circumvent "the threat of shortages, high prices and strikes" at outside suppliers. With its own steel mill, foundry, glass plant, and processing facilities, the company turned its own raw materials such as iron ore, limestone, coal, sand, and copper into its parts and products to supply Highland Park and the branch assembly plants, a new policy known as "vertical integration." By this time, Ford had perceived the inefficiencies of moving assembly lines in multi-story buildings, and River Rouge became the company's first 1-story facility to accommodate a continuous flow of work at one level. This new arrangement became the model for the second generation of assembly plants (post-WWI), including Arabi, and rendered the early assembly plants obsolete. In addition, the decision to locate the new plant adjacent to the River Rouge, which was inspired by Henry Ford's insistence that waterborne transportation was cheaper than rail, was another important innovation that impacted the assembly plants of the 1920s and 1930s; all but one of the postwar facilities were similarly sited. The River Rouge plant was steadily expanded until 1928, at which time it occupied over 1,000 acres, employed over 100,000 workers, and replaced Highland Park as the largest industrial plant in the world. Kahn designed several of the Rouge buildings.

When World War I ended, Ford's branch assembly plant construction was even more extensive than before. The first postwar facility was constructed in Chicago in 1920-23. The company rebuilt at least 8 prewar assembly plants to accommodate the new 1-story floor plan, and it ventured into four southern and western cities; New Orleans (Arabi), Jacksonville, FL, Salt Lake City, UT, and Norfolk, VA, for the first time to meet the growing demand in those regions. By 1925, Ford had an all-time high of 32 assembly plants, including Highland Park.

After nearly 3 decades of rapid growth and innovation, Ford sales plummeted during the Great Depression. In 1932-33, it closed 13 of its assembly plants outside of Michigan, including Arabi. The closed facilities were converted into parts and distribution centers.

Albert Kahn (1869-1942) is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential industrial architects of all time. His prolific career was defined by numerous "firsts" in the realms of construction technology and architectural design that changed factory building worldwide. Between 1900 and 1940, his firm, Albert Kahn Associates, designed over 2,000 industrial buildings, or one-fifth of all architect-designed industrial buildings in the United States. By the late 1930s, it was the largest architectural firm in the world, with a staff of nearly 600 employees. Although his company designed for numerous clients, Kahn is most closely associated with the rise of Henry Ford and Ford Motor Company, for whom he designed an estimated 1,000+ structures.

Building Description

The Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, located at 7200 North Peters Street in Arabi, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, was completed in 1923 as a branch plant for the assembly of Ford automobiles in the Gulf South region. Historically about 16 acres and later expanded to 27.8 acres, the property was strategically located at the Mississippi River and adjacent to railroad lines to transport parts and finished automobiles to and from the plant. It includes two buildings: the assembly plant (1922-23) and the oil pump house (1922-23), both of which were designed by industrial architect Albert Kahn. The plant is a sprawling, 227,000-SF structure constructed of reinforced concrete and steel that housed a variety of functions, including assembly operations with a moving assembly line, a showroom, offices, and warehouse storage. Beyond the reinforced-concrete 2-story portion facing North Peters Street, which houses the public entrance, the plant is 1 story in height and exposed steel-frame construction, with 6 gabled roof monitors running east-west to provide light and ventilation to the plant's open interior. The small 2-story oil pump house is located approximately 70 yards north of the plant and is constructed of brick, concrete, and steel. In 1933, the plant ceased assembly operations and was converted into a Ford parts and distribution center. Other modifications were later made to accommodate subsequent uses, but the property still retains several key features of Ford's second generation of Kahn-designed branch plants.

Detailed Description

The Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant is located just east of the Orleans Parish line in Arabi, a subdivision of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. It was constructed in 1922-23 as one of over three dozen branch assembly plants that Ford established throughout the United States between 1911 and 1932, nearly all of which were designed by the firm of industrial architect Albert Kahn. A new concept in automobile production at the time, these plants were devised to address the company's distribution problems in the face of rapid sales increases. Rather than shipping completed automobiles from Ford's headquarters in Michigan, which was unwieldy and expensive, unassembled parts were sent to branch plants throughout the country to be assembled on site. The completed automobiles were then shipped to local and regional dealers or overseas to international markets.

At the same time, Ford also established branch agencies focused on sales and servicing. The assembly plants acted as miniature factories for the agencies to supply parts needed to make timely repairs. These new localized nodes of production, sales, and servicing created a more efficient and streamlined system, enabling Ford Motor Company to provide more comprehensive customer service, better target regional demand, and offer lower price points to its growing customer base than ever before. Soon enough, virtually "every other car in the United States [was] a Ford," including in the New Orleans area, and the assembly plants were a key cog in the company's success.

The Arabi plant housed assembly operations from 1923 until 1933, at which time Ford converted it into a parts and distribution center. During World War II, the port quartermaster of the United States Army leased it as a warehouse. After the war, it continued as a parts and distribution center until the early 1970s, when it was sold to Southern Service Inc., an importer of Toyotas and Mazdas supplying the Midwest market. From 1977 until 2005, the building held freight storage for goods such as coffee and twine. It flooded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and sat vacant for about a decade. Today, it is leased as storage for the film industry.

Like Ford's other post-World War I branch assembly plants, the Arabi facility was strategically located adjacent to railroad lines and the Mississippi River for easy land and waterborne transportation of parts and assembled vehicles to and from the site. Historically, the plant occupied about 16 acres, including 1.8 acres of the river batture. The property was gradually expanded to 27.8 acres with the addition of a large parcel to the east of the historic boundaries and a small parcel to the west.

The plant is located on an industrial stretch of North Peters Street, which runs parallel to the river. Directly east of the plant is the massive Domino Sugar Refinery, which opened in 1909. To the west is a smattering of small 1-story industrial buildings, and one block to the north is a low-density stretch of early 20th-century residences characteristic of the early days of the Arabi subdivision, which was established in 1906.

Today, the property consists of the assembly plant and the oil pump house (1922-23), which is located approximately 70 yards north of the plant. There are no other buildings on the site, which has seen minimal change since the plant opened. The railroad spurs onto the property and the 100-foot steel smoke stack that stood at the northeast corner of the plant have been lost, but the essential characteristics that drew Ford to this location remain the same, namely the property's relationship to the river, its proximity to New Orleans's business district, the generous size of the parcels to accommodate a sprawling 1-story facility and allow for future expansion, and the industrial character of the surrounding area. Railroad lines are intact just north of the property boundary.

The assembly plant exhibits several key identifying features of Ford's post-World War I (second generation) of assembly plants: a 1- or 2-story height and expansive open floor area to accommodate an entire moving assembly line on one level; the use of reinforced concrete and/or structural steel framing to create wide, uninterrupted floor spans; a high ratio of fenestration to wall surface and the use of roof monitors to maximize interior light and ventilation for the health and productivity of the workers; simple form and massing that follow the building's function; easy-to-clean fire-resistive interior finishes; convenient employee amenities; and very limited stylistic ornamentation in favor of honest structural expression and an economical use of materials.

The 227,000-SF assembly plant has a nearly square footprint (approximately 425 feet wide by 426 feet deep). It is oriented southwest to face North Peters Street and the Mississippi River and consists of two distinct sections: 1) a narrow 2-story section at the front of the building designed to house offices, 2 freight elevators, 2 stairwells, a vault, a showroom, and automobile storage, and 2) a spacious rear 1-story section where assembly operations took place. The 2-story portion is reinforced concrete construction; it extends the full width of the building (17 structural bays) and is roughly 75 feet in depth (3 structural bays). The 1-story rear section is exposed steel-frame construction and extends the full width of the building (17 structural bays) by about 350 feet in depth (14 structural bays). The flat roof spans between the steel-frame monitors are pre-cast concrete panels. Presumably, steel framing was chosen for the larger 1-story section because it more easily accommodates wide uninterrupted floor spans than concrete, and greater flexibility was required for the arrangement of assembly equipment. A concrete foundation supports both sections of the building.

The facade of the 2-story front section served as the public face and formal entrance of the assembly plant. The front bays are 23.5 feet wide on center except the first and last bays, which are slightly wider at 24.5 feet. The cast-in-place concrete frame is exposed and doubles as a design element in that the vertical supports define the facade's 17 bays and lend a sense of symmetry to the exterior, while the horizontal beams distinguish the lower and upper floors. Red brick serves as infill beneath the large expanses of fenestration that run the entire width of both stories. The short parapet bordering the flat roof is finished with a restrained cast-concrete dentil cornice, which comprises the building's only stylistic ornamentation. On both levels, windows occupy a large percentage of the wall surface to maximize interior light and ventilation. On the 1^st floor, the original multi-light steel sashes remain in place; on the 2^nd floor, they were replaced in the late 20^th century with aluminum sashes matching the original light pattern. The window sills throughout are pre-cast concrete matching the structural frame. The door openings along the facade have undergone some modification; the original main entrance to the plant at the southwest corner of the building retains its cast-concrete surround but the wood doors, steel windows, and transom at this location have been replaced. The other 4 door openings along the facade were enlarged to accommodate metal overhead garage doors. The original decorative cast-iron wall sconces at the 1S-floor entrances are intact although the glass globes are missing.

On the east and west elevations of the 2-story section, the original concrete loading platforms and suspended wood and steel canopies begin at the front corners and extend uninterrupted across the 1-story section, as further described below. The bays on these ends are 25 feet wide on center. Most of the original wood double doors and multi-light steel windows remain. On the roof are the original water tower, which stands prominently near the center of the structure, and the brick penthouses for the 2 freight elevators at the east and west ends. The large rooftop sign reading "Ford Motor Company" in the company's trademark script was removed by the 1950s, according to photographic documentation. Pitch pockets remain where signage was removed. The flat roof is covered with composition roofing material.

The larger 1-story steel-frame section of the building, which was dedicated to assembly activities, is 14 bays deep and commences where the front section ends. The bays along the east and west elevations are typically 25 feet wide on center except at the rear, where the last bay widens to 25 feet 10 inches. The 17 bays along the building's rear are 23.5 feet wide on center and widen to 24 feet 4 inches at either end. The steel vertical supports at the exterior walls are concealed by red brick veneer to read as engaged pilasters; red brick is also used as infill beneath the multi-light steel windows. The window sills are pre-cast concrete to match those on the front facade. The majority of the original steel windows and wood double doors are extant along this section's sides and rear; at the northwest corner of the rear elevation, the steel windows have been replaced with overhead garage doors. The loading platforms and suspended canopies extend the full depth of both sides of the building and terminate in ramps at the rear corners. Six identical gabled roof monitors run east-west on the roof of this section and are fitted with steel clerestory windows on the north and south sides to provide additional light and ventilation to the plant interior. The flat sections of roof are covered with composition roofing and those of the monitors are covered with corrugated cement-tile panels. The gable ends of the monitors, which alternate with the door openings below, are finished with smooth cement stucco over Hy-Rib, a steel reinforcement system engineered by Albert Kahn's brother Julius and his company, the Trussed Concrete Steel Company.

The building's 2 sections remain distinguishable from one another on the interior due to their respective exposed concrete and steel framing, although at ground level they are undivided to create one vast interior space that is frankly industrial in character. The main entrance at the front southwest corner leads to a small administrative area that was renovated in the late 20^th Century with acoustical ceiling tiles and a modern bathroom; the original terrazzo floors and adjacent staircase with metal railings and wood handrail are intact. Beyond this vestibule-like entry, the 1" floor opens into the expansive assembly area, which was designed to provide maximum flexibility for Ford's moving assembly line and production processes. The concrete "mushroom" or "bell capital" columns widely used in Kahn's industrial designs and the more slender exposed steel columns and trusses are visible throughout. The concrete columns line up consistently with the exterior bays, while the steel columns skip a bay from east to west to create generous 47-foot spans. The piping and conduit associated with the building's complex electrical and plumbing systems snake overhead and down exterior walls. No assembly equipment remains, although there are several generations of electrical panels/generators and plumbing equipment. Simple industrial pendant fixtures hang throughout the space in parallel rows. Four steel-frame elevated bathroom structures (two at the east and west ends, respectively) were provided for the all-male workforce; based on Kahn's 1922 drawings, these restrooms retain their steel staircases, urinals, and private bathroom stalls; the original wash troughs were later replaced with circular wash basins. The floors throughout the entirety of the assembly area are concrete slab, and the brick wall sections are plastered, painted, or exposed. The plant's 2 freight elevators and 2 stairwells are located at the east and west ends of the 2-story section; the freight elevator at the west end was discontinued after assembly production ceased in 1933 and the upper shaft was converted into a storage room. Unlike the more formal terrazzo stairs near the main entrance, Kahn designed the stairwell at the east end of the building to include a concrete slab floor, cast-concrete treads and risers, and a simple metal pipe railing, presumably because it was intended for workers' use only. A small section near the center front of the assembly area was partitioned with plywood and steel window walls after the period of significance; otherwise, the 15-floor layout is remarkably intact.

The 2^nd floor is also industrial in character. Kahn's distinctive concrete columns are visible throughout the 2^nd floor, and all piping/conduit and some systems equipment is exposed. The 2^nd floor originally housed a few administrative offices and restrooms at the west and east ends. The open floor area in between was utilized as a showroom and automobile storage. The original vault and restroom locations remain but the offices were reconfigured and new CMU and steel-window partitions were added to accommodate later uses after assembly production ceased, including an equipment room, offices/meeting areas, and additional restrooms. The flooring is concrete slab. The brick wall sections are plastered, painted, or exposed brick. The ceiling is painted cast-in-place board-formed concrete.

The small 2-story oil pump house located to the rear of the assembly plant (approximately 70 yards north) was constructed in 1922-23 to house the plant's oil pump equipment. It is brick masonry construction with cast-in-place concrete floors and exposed steel roof trusses. The 1-floor concrete slab sits at grade. The front gable roof is covered with corrugated cement-tile panels. The 2^nd floor is accessed via an exterior staircase on the east elevation. The wood doors and steel windows are original. There is no pump-related equipment remaining on the interior.