Phantoms of Flint at GM’s Historic Factory One

Nick Cavanaugh @Car_Sick_Nick
Oct 30
2 min read

From Carriages to Cars and Maybe a Few Ghosts Along the Way

General Motors has been driving innovation since 1908, but some say the company’s earliest pioneers never really left. Whispers of ghostly encounters suggest GM’s founding fathers may still be keeping watch over the birthplace of the brand, Durant-Dort Factory One.

The Birthplace of GM

Nestled along the Flint River in Michigan, Factory One is where automotive visionaries Billy Durant and Josiah Dort shifted gears from carriages to cars, laying the foundation for GM’s first automobiles. Today, the restored building stands as a monument to innovation—and, according to some, a hotspot for paranormal activity.

On the left, a photo captured by Maria Perez from her desk at Factory One shows the view toward the second floor. On the right, a historic portrait of William Wallace Crapo (1830–1926), the uncle of GM founder Billy Durant.

GM Chief Historian Kevin Kirbitz has overseen Factory One’s preservation since 2012. After renovations wrapped in 2016, he moved his desk inside the historic building. That’s when things got strange. Lights flickered on and off at night. Security cameras captured floating orbs. And eerie whispers echoed through empty rooms.

“We disturbed a lot of old earth when we renovated,” Kirbitz says. “I think that’s when it all started.”

Encounters That Defy Explanation

Security officer Maria Perez has seen it all. Reviewing overnight footage, she’s spotted glowing orbs and lights switching on in rooms where switches can only be flipped manually. She’s felt phantom pushes, heard footsteps upstairs, and even her name whispered when no one else was around.

One video from May 2018 shows a mysterious orb gliding across a room. Another captures lights flickering in areas where wind or movement couldn’t possibly trigger them. “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.”

GM Canada’s Deb Hawe had her own chilling experience during a visit. “As soon as I walked in, the hair on my arms stood up,” she says. During a presentation, she sensed someone behind her, then saw a man near a carriage. Later, she identified him from a photo: Fred Aldrich, a longtime Factory One employee who passed away decades ago.

“They’re protective of their space and memorabilia,” Hawe says. “It’s sacred to them. But mostly, the presences feel proud and watchful, not threatening.”

History That Won’t Let Go

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, these stories add a thrilling twist to GM’s rich heritage. At Factory One, the past isn’t just preserved, it’s alive in every creak of the floorboards and flicker of the lights. For GM, history doesn’t just sit in archives. It walks the halls.