1408 17th Street
United Cork Companies, Albert Grauer & Company, Springfield Detail & Machine Parts, Springfield Tool and Die Company, Bethseda Baptist Church, Holy United Trinity Church
1408 17th Street was built in the 1920s and was being utilized by United Cork Companies by 1927. An advert from that year for Cork Insulation placed the company at the address and indicated that their factory complex was in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, just outside Newark and not far from the Big Apple.
By 1928, the structure was being used by Albert Grauer & Company, a floor and wall tile business incorporated in 1907 by its namesake with $4,000 in capital. The operation would utilize the structure until at least 1932, offering asphalt, Goodrich rubber tile, Tile-Tex, and asphalt tile.
In 1937 the structure was for sale via First National Bank. The advertisement described it as a two-story brick building with around 7,000 square feet of floor space and an adjoining 4,000 square feet of land. This could have been on either side of the structure, as there’s still a large vacant lot on the corner, and the home on the other side wasn’t built until the 2000s and is, oddly enough, owned by my representative in the House of Representatives. However, it may have only been the small property section between the structure and where that home is.
By the early 1940s, Springfield Detail & Machine Parts owned and operated the structure. This self-proclaimed ‘Established Shop—Finest of Equipment, was incorporated in 1926 and made jigs, dies, gauges, and fixtures. They were constantly hiring, and in 1943, they advertised a 58-hour work week.
By 1951, that had changed. Their want ads listed that they were looking for people to work days with paid overtime, high rates, bonuses, group insurance, and vacation pay.
In 1955, the company changed its name to the Springfield Tool and Die Company. Hamilton Aldridge was the general manager. The business still crafted parts but had transitioned into designing and building special fixtures and machines as needed for their customers.
They wouldn’t use the space at 1408 17th Street long after the name change. In 1957, the company moved to a new facility at 2005 Westwood Street in Dearborn, where it would remain through at least the 1970s.
After that, I’m not certain what happened to the property. By 1973, Bethseda Baptist Church was utilizing the structure. This may have been a typo and could have been Bethesda Baptist, but I haven’t found much on record for either name.
Holy United Trinity Church was the last occupant of the structure, but I can’t pinpoint when they moved into the brick building. The church was incorporated in 1979, but I don’t believe they moved to this address for at least a decade. The church filed its last report with the state in 2018 and was dissolved in 2019; however, I believe it was closed before then.
1408 17th Street is currently for sale via O’Connor Real Estate for $600,000. That price might seem steep, but a lot is happening nearby that may justify the money to buyers.
The former church is within walking distance of Honey Bee Market (La Colmena), which has one of the best produce selections in Southwest Detroit, has deliciously cheap breakfast burritos, and serves up some of the best chimichangas I’ve ever had. Stanton Park is right across the street, complete with play equipment and a community garden. You can see Ford’s Michigan Central Train Station from the street in front of the church, indicating the money currently being poured into greater Corktown.
Hopefully, given all of that, this structure will see new life soon!
