By Anna Michalski and Jenn McKeogh
Since its founding in 1908, General Motors has been on the cutting-edge of the auto industry. But some of GM’s earliest innovators have apparently refused to let go of the past.
In fact, some of GM’s founding fathers may still be haunting the halls of our first manufacturing facility: Durant-Dort Factory One.
The birthplace of GM
Factory One is located along the Flint River in the city of Flint, Michigan, about an hour north of Detroit. That’s where visionaries William “Billy” Durant and Josiah Dort turned from carriage production to lay the foundation for GM’s first automobiles.
Keeping a watchful eye over Factory One is GM chief historian Kevin Kirbitz, who has been with the company since 1979, when he joined as a young engineering co-op student at the GM Institute, now Kettering University. His passion for the company’s history led him to support the restoration and preservation of Factory One starting in 2012, He set up his desk inside the historic building after renovations wrapped up in 2016 – and that’s when strange things began to happen.
“We disturbed a lot of old earth when we renovated,” says Kirbitz. “I think that’s when it all started.”
CAPTION: The photo on the left was taken by receptionist Maria Perez at Factory One facing the second floor. On the right is a portrait of William Wallace Crapo (1830-1926), Billy Durant’s uncle.
Ghosts of innovations past
Across the street from Factory One sits the original office building that housed Durant and Dort’s personal offices. Over the years, government employees working there have reported unexplained noises, flickering lights, mysterious voices, and doors slamming shut without cause. Kirbitz was skeptical—until his team moved into the renovated factory.
“We’d heard about the office building being haunted,” he says. “But once we moved into the factory, the lights started turning on and off in the middle of the night. Then Maria showed me the photos and videos—that was really something.”
Maria Perez, a security officer at Factory One since its 2017 reopening, routinely reviews overnight surveillance footage. While the cameras often caught the odd mouse meandering or headlights of passing cars, she says some of the things defy rational explanation.
One May 2018 video appears to show a floating orb moving across a room, while another shows lights turning on and off at random. Perez claims the lights in that area can only be turned on manually, ruling out wind or movement.
“Early on, I was walking through the stack room alone and felt someone push me on the back,” Perez recalls. “They seemed to want me out.”
She’s also heard pounding on desks, footsteps on the second floor, and her name whispered, all while she was alone.
Kirbitz says he’s heard many such stories over the years. Though he hasn’t had a personal ghostly encounter, the sheer volume of reports has made him a believer.
“We’ve had ghostbusters and spiritualists ask to investigate,” he says. “We haven’t accepted—yet.”
The clairvoyant and the carriage
But GM may not need outside help. Deb Hawe, GM Canada retention and marketing manager, visited Factory One with her team and immediately sensed something unusual.
“As soon as I walked in, the hair on my arms stood up,” Hawe says. “I felt lots of ghosts here, but I didn’t say anything at first.”
CAPTION: The photo on the left was taken by Maria Perez at Factory One, facing the second floor and appears to depict the ghostly figure of Fred Aldrich (1861-1957), secretary of the Durant-Dort Carriage Co.
Hawe says that during a presentation in the office’s main event space, felt a strong presence behind her. Turning around, she saw a man standing near one of the carriages, watching attentively. Later, she described him to Maria, who showed her a photo of Fred Aldrich, an early secretary and long-time Factory One employee.
“That was the man I saw,” Hawe said without hesitation.
The experience continued in the archive room, where Deb felt someone pushing her back – just like Perez’s encounter.
“They’re protective of their space and memorabilia,” she says. “It’s sacred to them. But mostly, the presences there feel proud and watchful, not threatening.”
Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the stories surrounding Factory One add a haunting dimension to its rich history. At GM, the past isn’t just preserved—it’s alive in the creak of the floorboards, the hush of quiet corners, and the sense that someone—or something—might still be watching.
Factory one today and in the early 1900s, when it was a wagon factory.
Since its founding in 1908, General Motors has been on the cutting-edge of the auto industry. But some of GM’s earliest innovators have apparently refused to let go of the past.
In fact, some of GM’s founding fathers may still be haunting the halls of our first manufacturing facility: Durant-Dort Factory One.
The birthplace of GM
Factory One is located along the Flint River in the city of Flint, Michigan, about an hour north of Detroit. That’s where visionaries William “Billy” Durant and Josiah Dort turned from carriage production to lay the foundation for GM’s first automobiles.
Keeping a watchful eye over Factory One is GM chief historian Kevin Kirbitz, who has been with the company since 1979, when he joined as a young engineering co-op student at the GM Institute, now Kettering University. His passion for the company’s history led him to support the restoration and preservation of Factory One starting in 2012. He set up his desk inside the historic building after renovations wrapped up in 2016 – and that’s when strange things began to happen.
“We disturbed a lot of old earth when we renovated,” says Kirbitz. “I think that’s when it all started.”
Across the street from Factory One sits the original office building that housed Durant and Dort’s personal offices. Over the years, government employees working there have reported unexplained noises, flickering lights, mysterious voices, and doors slamming shut without cause. Kirbitz was skeptical—until his team moved into the renovated factory.
“We’d heard about the office building being haunted,” he says. “But once we moved into the factory, the lights started turning on and off in the middle of the night. Then Maria showed me the photos and videos—that was really something.”
Maria Perez, a security officer at Factory One since its 2017 reopening, routinely reviews overnight surveillance footage. While the cameras often caught the odd mouse meandering or headlights of passing cars, she says some of the things defy rational explanation.
One May 2018 video appears to show a floating orb moving across a room, while another shows lights turning on and off at random. Perez claims the lights in that area can only be turned on manually, ruling out wind or movement.
“Early on, I was walking through the stack room alone and felt someone push me on the back,” Perez recalls. “They seemed to want me out.”
She’s also heard pounding on desks, footsteps on the second floor, and her name whispered, all while she was alone.
Kirbitz says he’s heard many such stories over the years. Though he hasn’t had a personal ghostly encounter, the sheer volume of reports has made him a believer.
“We’ve had ghostbusters and spiritualists ask to investigate,” he says. “We haven’t accepted—yet.”
The clairvoyant and the carriage
But GM may not need outside help. Deb Hawe, GM Canada retention and marketing manager, visited Factory One with her team and immediately sensed something unusual.
“As soon as I walked in, the hair on my arms stood up,” Hawe says. “I felt lots of ghosts here, but I didn’t say anything at first.”
Hawe says that during a presentation in the office’s main event space, she felt a strong presence behind her. Turning around, she saw a man standing near one of the carriages, watching attentively. Later, she described him to Maria, who showed her a photo of Fred Aldrich, an early secretary and long-time Factory One employee.
“That was the man I saw,” Hawe said without hesitation.
The experience continued in the archive room, where Deb felt someone pushing her back – just like Perez’s encounter.
“They’re protective of their space and memorabilia,” she says. “It’s sacred to them. But mostly, the presences there feel proud and watchful, not threatening.”
Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the stories surrounding Factory One add a haunting dimension to its rich history. At GM, the past isn’t just preserved—it’s alive in the creak of the floorboards, the hush of quiet corners, and the sense that someone—or something—might still be watching.