EHerg

New posts about Detroit, cars, and more on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays.

10/30/2026

This week’s video is about a Detroit church building that started as a German Baptist congregation before becoming Greater St. Peter’s AME Zion Church in the late 1940s. This congregation, one of the largest and most influential on the East Side for a time, became a regular stop for civil rights figures like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Sr., and Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till. Today, the congregation is smaller, but still going strong. Full video live on my channel now!

10/23/2026

This week’s video is about all the tiny storefronts that make cities like Hamtramck so special. This little building has been a shoe store, clothing shop, a music venue, and an art gallery. Now, it’s home to Natural Villain Cinema, a microcinema showing cult classics and other films you won’t find at chain movie theatres. Full video live on my channel now!

10/16/2026

This week's video might be on a run-of-the-mill bank building on Detroit's east side, but it represents a lot more than that. In addition to the history of the bank, we dive into the history of the Brewster Old Timers, a nonprofit with a base of former patrons of the Brewster-Wheeler Recreation Center, which anchored the area between Eastern Market and Brush Park for generations. Despite the demolition of the original Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects, the recreation center is still standing and being renovated. The same can't be said for the former Brewster Old Timers Clubhouse. Check out the video on the This Building Matters YouTube channel now!

10/14/2026

DEMOLITION NOTICE: The former Max's Jewelry Store building on Chene Street, with a sign that had been a Poletown staple for generations, received an emergency demolition notice this week. The iconic marquee-style sign disappeared in June, 2025. The Rosenbaum family owned and operated Max's, with multiple locations around the city.

Max's remained on Chene Street until 1974, when it moved to Warren. The last Max's location closed on Joseph Campau in Hamtramck in the 1990s. The Chene Street property later became Apollo Furniture before being vacated altogether and falling into disrepair. Around 2012, the structure suffered a fire, and the roof eventually failed. In 2016, Max's was a filming location for Michael Bay's Transformers: The Last Knight, which added fake ghost signs on its north outer wall.

In 2018, I inquired about Max’s with the Detroit Land Bank Authority, but found they had just sold it. I've always been enamored with this building, though I have to admit, not quite as much after the sign was taken down last year. It was one of the first buildings I wrote about in great detail, and I'll certainly miss it when it's gone, which will likely be within a week.

So long, friend.

10/11/2026

Today is St. Hyacinth's Banana Festival! The church has Mass at 11:30, and the festival runs from 12 until 6. Whether you're looking for yummy food, drinks, and dessert, or a place to buy vintage or local artwork, the Banana Festival is the place for you today, rain or shine.

Time: 12 - 6 PM
Address: 3151 Farnsworth Street, Detroit

More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1585482629952889

10/09/2026

This old Poletown East saloon was the scene of a deadly shooting during Prohibition and later became a church. Today, this historic building is still standing, but it needs repairs after some of its masonry collapsed.

New video live on my channel now: https://youtu.be/Qfd1KXjHMU4

10/08/2026

Since learning that St. Hyacinth was potentially closing as part of the Archdiocese of Detroit's restructuring plan, I've been volunteering some of my time there. This Sunday is the church's Banana Festival, an annual tradition that dates back to 1977. I've attended the festival many times, and it's been enlightening to peek behind the curtain while operating as one very small cog in the machine of dedicated volunteers that makes it happen.

The Banana Festival dates back to the 1970s, but the seeds for what would become the St. Hyacinth Roman Catholic Church we know today were sown over 120 years ago. By 1907, the plea for a new Polish parish was granted, and Detroit's St. Hyacinth Parish was born. The first church took just over two weeks to build and was on Frederick Street. By 1908, a new structure was completed to house the church and school, which we today know as the St. Hyacinth School Building.

As the neighborhood continued to grow, the parish outgrew the building, and plans were drawn up for a new structure. Designed by Donaldson and Meier, one of the finest architectural firms of the day, ground was broken on July 4, 1922. On May 25, 1924, the church was dedicated, and it has held weekly Mass ever since.

In addition to the traditional Polish dinners, bake sale, raffles, and prizes, I helped organize a Poletown Makers Market with local vendors on the second floor. There's a resale shoppe, too, and there are free guided tours of St. Hyacinth Church at 1 PM and 3:30 PM.

If you love architecture, local crafts, thrift shopping, Polish food, baked goods, or raffles, there's no reason not to be at St. Hyacinth on Sunday between 12 and 6! Here's the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1585482629952889

These photos are from several visits over the last few months.

10/02/2026

You probably know Mexicantown Bakery for the treats and coffee, but did you know the building is more than 130 years old? Before it became an iconic Southwest Detroit bakery, it was one of many Odd Fellows Halls in the city.

New video live on my channel now: https://youtu.be/_RpEMkwX1IQ

09/26/2026

So, what's next for the Roberts Brass Company Building on Fort Street? In this snippet from my mini-documentary on the property, I talk about what's going on with the property now and what I would do with it if I had unlimited money. What would you do with it if you had the cash?

Check out the full video: https://youtu.be/CvoNVNLe7Kg

09/25/2026

This week's video is on the Roberts Brass Building on Fort Street, one that's seen everything from the manufacture of steam, water, and gas fittings to a pack of dogs living inside it that mauled a man in 2023. In my opinion, this is one of the most unique industrial buildings in Detroit still standing, and the Pollmar and Ropes-designed structure was constructed in two segments, one in 1906 and the other in 1916. For years, Mayor Mike Duggan wanted the building demolished, but a demolition quote shown to City Council in 2024 showed it would cost $1.8 million to get the job done, so it was tabled.

New video live on my channel now: https://youtu.be/CvoNVNLe7Kg

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