2912 Mt. Elliott Street
Private home, pest control business
I've always admired this building. There isn't much special about it—but I love the idea of a home with a small storefront attached. It feels so much cooler than an apartment above a retail space—you've got an entire house with a small, separate spot to run a business from—it's the best of both worlds.
These aren't terribly uncommon around Detroit, but this one was always special. I love the JET graphic on the business's front door, and the dark red brick always reminds me of winter in Detroit. I'm not sure why—it's some subconscious association I have made between two unrelated things. For whatever reason—when I see it, I'm reminded of frigid cold evenings trekking around in Detroit on two feet with my camera in my hand and ice forming on my eyes and face.
Unfortunately, this building belongs to an exclusive club. It's a league of structures I enjoy that I haven't been able to dig up much dirt on. I'll continue my search, but here are the few things I know.
The structure was built in 1925. I'm not sure if that's when the home or the storefront was completed—I'd guess whichever was completed second. I'd estimate that the home was built first, and the storefront was added later.
I believe its most recent use was as a pest control business. There's a ghost sign that isn't quite legible anymore on the north side of the building for JET, a bug killer. Although the sign is mostly gone now, I believe it once said, 'Jet is a super killer for roaches and all bugs.' As I mentioned, 'JET' is on the front door, too, so the business was dedicated to its products.
The structure's facade has a frame for a porcelain sign, but it hasn't had one as long as I've been passing it.
The only piece of news that I've found on 2912 Mt. Elliott is a death. In 1943, Arne A. Jussila was found dead in a burning car in the garage behind the building. I haven't seen anything else about the case. There was a collapsed garage here until roughly 2010, when it was removed—now it's just a slab of concrete.
The structure stands on its own—there are a handful of vacant lots between it and the next building on Mt. Elliott, and the corner lot next to it on the other side is empty, too. It's hard to imagine a time when the neighborhood surrounding it could support a small business that ran out of a small shop attached to someone's home.
The building is currently for sale through O'Connor Realty for $49,900. Compared to other homes in the surrounding areas, that's a reasonably low price. After looking at the photos the agent shared online—it makes sense. There's a massive hole in the roof of the storefront, and the home has extensive damage. The walls are extraordinarily colorful, and some rooms are full of rubble. Don't get me wrong—the structure is salvageable, but it'll take a labor of love to get the job done.
I'll continue to admire, photograph, and, hopefully, learn more about this building for as long as it stands. Whatever happens, I hope that someone can save that door. Even though I've never heard of the brand, it's always been iconic.
