A Vintage General Store in Detroit

Detroit is one of the oldest cities in America. It’s been around for over 300 years and survived major fires, riots, downturns in the economy, etc. In its prime, the city’s neighborhoods were packed solid with houses; some build so close there was only a walkway between them. Most of the densely populated neighborhoods had a corner store that people could easily walk to for general household items. I stumbled upon such a store the other day in a nearby Westside community.

This vintage brick beauty I saw probably went up in the late 1800s or very early 1900s. At that time, bricks were easy to manufacture, cheap, and commonly used for construction during this period of rapid growth in Detroit. The charming old place was undoubtedly built as a bakery, candy store or a common general store that served the residents of the community long before the automobile made it easier to shop downtown and elsewhere.

Note the arch windows and second story brickwork

One of the many things I like about old buildings is the brickwork and unique architectural details. This place has both. The simple, yet somewhat ornate brickwork above the second story windows, along the roofline and outer edges of the building create an interesting arch. The upper windows on the two-story section and on the single story part of the building are arched as well, a classic feature of the era. In its prime, the building’s two large windows that bookend the main entry door were more than likely used for display purposes.

It’s good to see this old, well-constructed brick beauty is still standing, in use, and overall it looks to be in pretty good shape.

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Fading Wall Signs – Part 2

A few months ago I posted a story on the fading wall signs I see on old buildings as I ride my bicycle across the city of Detroit. In that story I described the stylish art deco lettering, pastel colors, and intriguing graphics that were in favor at the time they were painted many years ago. I also pointed out how remarkable it was that they survived decades of foul weather and blistering sunlight. Although many are now faded, some to the point of being unreadable, others still survive and are remarkably clear and intact. Considering the harsh seasonal elements the outdoor art has been exposed to, it is incredible that so many of the vintage signs have endured over time.

This is a second in an ongoing series of occasional posts on fading wall signs in Detroit. As I wrote in the earlier post, most of the decorative faded advertising signs can be found on buildings constructed in the late 1800s through the early 1930s. They are usually painted on the upper level of a brick building two stories or taller. Many of the older ads have been hidden for years by adjoining structures that were constructed next to the buildings they were painted on. When the neighboring buildings were knocked down, the ornate vintage ads have come into full view.

Simple, straight-forward message

Here are a few more faders I spotted on my rides throughout the city. I’m especially fond of those featuring illustrations such as the one with the boy. Sadly, as the city evolves and more and more of the older structures are town down, the classic hand-painted illustrations and unique lettered wall signs used in the early days of Detroit advertising will eventually be lost.

I like everything about this vintage ad – the lettering, color, and illustrations

Letter type and graphics are eye catching

I’m thinking there may have been an illustration of a dancing couple above the lettering

The bold lettering and illustrations say it all

You can read other entries on Detroit’s fading signs by clicking on the headline below.

Fading Wall Signs

Fading Wall Signs – Part 3

Fading Wall Signs – Part 4

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Bike Storage is Important

I sold my 1,800 square foot Detroit home. A ‘for sale’ sign has been stuck in my front yard for the past few months and after many showings, I accepted an offer. I’ve lived there for over 25 years, and needless to say, I had heaps of stuff to go through and get rid of. Over the past couple of weeks, I spent loads of time sorting through boxes of old papers, books and other things. Much of it I haven’t looked at in years. Some of it I saved, but plenty of it I gave to family and friends. And needless to say, I made several trips to the local Salvation Army donation center.

It was a bit of a challenge because I moved to a 700 square foot loft unit in a former nail factory in Detroit. It is a vintage brick building that was built-in the early 1900’s. As you can imagine, there isn’t a lot of room for unnecessary things. One of the prized possessions I kept is my bicycle. After all, bicycling in Detroit is what I like to do, and that is what this blog is all about: bicycling in Detroit.

Luckily, bike storage wasn’t an issue at my new place. The building I moved to has a good-sized room dedicated to bicycle storage with plenty of space.  I didn’t have to deal with figuring out how or where to park my bike in my unit or somehow hang it from the ceiling, which would be a challenge since I have cement ceilings.  Having that dedicated bicycle space is great. All I have to do after my rides is wheel it into the storage space and forget about it.  Nice touch!

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