In November 2002, Ferndale resident Christine Kole sent a letter to the museum suggesting the idea of house plaques. The museum board looked into the idea, what other historical societies were doing, and plaque availability. Museum volunteers Helen Weber and Ray White led the initial efforts. Other ideas included buying solid bronze plaques (that would patina nicely) from a local monument company, or having limestone blocks cut to be added to a building – grand plans for Ferndale homes!

By October 2003, it was found that custom plaques could be made by the Whitehall company to include a fern design and up to 17 characters for a modest one-time tooling charge. Going forward, plaques of that design could be ordered for any year. In March 2004 someone (most likely Whitehall Designers), proposed a shield design of green & gold.

Plaque Sales

At the March 27, 2004 Museum Board meeting the design and tooling charge were voted upon and approved. In November 2004 the Board set sell pricing at $85 per plaque. In February 2005 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Whitehall and the first plaque order was placed for 15 plaques. The Ferndale house plaque program had begun!

Over the past 20 years, the museum has sold over 600 house plaques – which is the primary fund raiser for the museum. Due to rising costs, there was a price increase in Spring 2020 to $100. Starting in January 2024, to encourage plaque sales (and support of the museum), the Board agreed to provide a 1-year museum membership when a non-member buys a plaque.

The street with the most plaques is West Drayton at 51 plaques! West Hazelhurst is 2nd at 31 plaques and West Saratoga is a close 3rd at 30 plaques! It is fun to spot plaques during walks around neighborhoods and downtown. It is also fun to see the variety of mountings on brick, stone, wood, and stakes!

The plaque years sold mirror Ferndale's building trends over the years. The building boom was in the mid 1920s with another bump after WWII.

Plaque Craftsmanship

Plaques are still individually hand-cast for the museum in Whitehall Michigan using 100% recycled aluminum. The standard design is used with a custom-set year in Whitehall’s proprietary font. Automotive grade powder coatings are baked onto the plaque. Then the text, border, and highlights are hand-rolled using high quality paint. An interesting video of the manufacturing process is HERE:

We have been asked if matching plaques are available for street addresses, family names, etc. Yes, interested parties can visit Whitehall's website HERE to see their product lines, then contact the company. Ask for the same fonts and green/gold coloring as the Ferndale House Plaque. The Ferndale shield shape is not available – but there are dozens of other pleasing designs to choose from!

Care & Maintenance

The plaques require very little care & maintenance. After many years in the weather they might lose a little of their sparkle. Just a few minutes of care can make them sparkle again! An important point is DO NOT use any tape or abrasive cleaning techniques on your plaque. To refresh your plaque we offer a suggested procedure HERE:

Ferndale’s home plaques show pride in your home, neighborhood, and community! We appreciate everyone who has purchased a plaque in support of the museum, as well as the craftspeople and staff at Whitehall who have made this program successful for over 20 years!