Henry Ford purchased the property in 1921, but did not use it for some time. Eventually, he constructed a new building constructed on the site, and the plant opened in 1939. It employed up to 130 people making workers horn buttons and starter switches. During World War II, production shifted to brass spark plug bushings for B-24 bombers. After the war, the line returned to making horn buttons and starter switches until 1954, when production shifted to armrests and lamp lenses. The Brooklyn site closed in 1967. After it was closed, the building was owned by Industrial Automotive Products, a subsidiary of Jackson Gear. The building has been recently used to house a collector's Model T collection. The building was purchased by Daniel and Samantha Ross in 2014 and is being converted into an Irish themed destination called the Old Irish Mill. Sharon Mills site The Sharon Mills (or Sharon Hollow) plant is located at 5701 Sharon Hollow Road in Sharon, Michigan. In the 1830s, a sawmill was constructed at this site. Later, John Rice built a gristmill here, which was operated by Rice and later the Kirkwood family until the 1920s. Henry Ford purchased the property in 1926, restored the exquisite Greek Revival mill, and added a wigng to the mill and a hydroelectric generator. The plant opened in 1939, employing up to 19 people making cigarette lighters, ammeters, and switches. The Sharon Mills site closed in 1947. After closure, the building was used primarily as a private residence, with a stint as an antique shop, until the late 1980s. In the 1990s, the site was used as a winery, until 1999, when the property was purchased by the Washtenaw County Park Division for use as a museum and conference center. The county restored the mill, and it currently operates as Sharon Mills Park. The site was designated a state of Michigan historic site in 1989. Manchester site The Manchester plant was constructed on the site of an old (1892) gristmill east of town on Austin Road. Ford purchased the site in 1936, and spent nearly $800,000 refurbishing, updating, and equipping the plant. The plant opened in 1941, and employed up to 279 people making ammeters, gauges, and instrument clusters. The Manchester site closed in 1957. In 1960, the plant was sold to a small manufacturer, Thornton Industries. Thornton used it until the early 1970s, after which the building