2915 Puritan Street
Confectionary, Barber/Beauty Shop, Abraham Family Market, Puritan Lawton Market
2915 Puritan was built around 1928 at the corner of Lawton. I’m not sure who constructed it or its original purpose, but it housed a confectionary and a barber/beauty shop in its early years. By 1939, the confectionary was for sale, and it eventually transitioned into a more modern grocery with beer and wine.
In December 1943, the owner, Henry Abraham, was robbed while working the counter. Two men returned to the shop to get another bottle of wine and held him up with their guns, taking $240. In 2023, that’s over $4,000.
In 1956, the shop was robbed again. The paper lists Harry Abraham as the owner—perhaps a relative or a misspelling of Henry. Thomas Hunt, a 21-year-old from Downriver, had hit numerous stores in his hometown before looking to the Motor City to expand his pockets.
After hitting the Abraham’s store, the owner went to the police as they’d written down Hunt’s license number. It turns out Hunt had taken detailed notes of all his holdups, which had him on the hook for at least six jobs around Metro Detroit.
Two years later, the shop was hit again. Dema Jacobson was working this time, and the bandits stole $190.
In its later years, it operated as the Puritan Lawton Market, a sign that remains on the structure’s facade. In addition to beer and wine, you could stop in for chips, candy, pop, and other snacks. I believe it closed around 2013. The sign that used to sit out front is visible through the front window.
At one time, there was probably one or two apartments upstairs. Maybe the Abraham family lived there—or perhaps they rented it out to another family from the neighborhood.
Small structures like this continue disappearing from Detroit’s landscape, and it’s a shame. When run well, they can anchor neighborhoods that otherwise lack investment. As Detroit’s neighborhood diaspora continues, it’s hard for shops like this to stay open.
Numerous churches, barbershops, and other small businesses dot the Puritan Streetscape between Livernois and Highland Park. Hopefully, this structure can be saved. The city currently owns it, so hopefully, they’ll sell it to somebody who can turn it into something the neighborhood can utilize.
