Mobile Gas station
15 Mile and GratiotIt wasn't long ago that this was an operating gas station—frozen in time. This building is one of the few vintage gas stations left in Detroit. The large gas companies pressured their franchisees to modernize their buildings in order to update the corporate image. The owners of this building refused to sell out, and the structure remained intact. Today, the building has severe roof damage, and the interior plaster has entirely collapsed to the floor. DAADS has long had this building in its slide survey of Art Deco Architecture in Detroit. We hope the future of this structure is not as a parking lot for the party store next door.
Private Home
Whittier and Outer Drive—DetroitDeco homes like this one stand out from the brick bungalows around them as true gems from the 1930s. This private property has suffered more than most. Damage to the stucco on the second story has become severe. The other unfortunate problem is that vehicles occasionally crash through the guardrail into the house itself. This home is one of Detroit’s Deco residential treasures, recalling a glamorous, contemporary lifestyle. We can't afford to lose these little gems to accidents and neglect.
Mercury Theater
Six Mile and Schaffer—DetroitFor those of you who remember the feature article on the Mercury Theater in our summer issue, we have bad news. Not only has the building been demolished, but this is what has replaced it. Our 20th Century architectural heritage is being replaced with generic strip malls that could be in Sterling Heights, Michigan or in Gainsville, Florida. It’s hard to tell because it all looks the same. At least our Modern article was a last tribute to that rare and quickly diminishing structure: the streamline moderne movie theater.