2965 Carpenter Street
Ukrainskyj Dim Association, Ukrainian Workers’ Home, Ukrainian American Center, Ukrainian American Center Foundation, Inc.
I’ve posted about the numerous ethnic halls that dot the landscape of Detroit, including the Bohemian National Hall, Lithuanian Hall, and Danish Brotherhood Hall; however, none has a name I like more than the Ukrainian Workers’ Home perched on the Detroit/Hamtramck border at 2965 Carpenter Street.
I haven’t determined when the structure was completed, which is odd. Typically when an ethnic hall was constructed, there was great fanfare. There would be articles in the newspaper, a parade, and a weekend of events. I haven’t found a whisper of those happening for the Ukrainian Workers’ Home, which feels wrong.
In 1930, a Detroit Free Press article mentioned a Ukrainian Hall on Grayling Street in Hamtramck. A 1936 article says that it was located near Joseph Campau. There isn’t anything but homes between Holbrook Elementary and Joseph Campau today, so I’d imagine that structure is gone. In the 1920s and 1930s, there was a Ukrainian Workers Theatrical Choir, but I haven’t been able to pinpoint where its home was.
I believe the structure pictured here was constructed in the early to mid-1930s, and I’m unsure who the architect was. The structure had a large auditorium with a stage, meeting rooms, and a basement, and eventually was expanded to house a bar next door.
The organization that built the structure was founded in 1916 as the
Ukrainskyj Dim, or Ukrainian Home, Association. In 1928, the organization changed its name to the Ukrainian Workers’ Home, which is on the top of the structure pictured here.
In 1935, the Davison Avenue Police hosted a 10-card amateur boxing showcase at the hall. The event benefitted the Boys’ Welfare of the district, and the big fight at the end of the night was Alex Kilpatrick versus Gerald Coon.
In November of that year, the Russian and Ukrainian Baptists of North America opened their 16th annual convention at the Ukrainian Workers’ Home. The Russian Baptist Church at Carpenter and Mackay hosted the event.
In 1940, the Ukrainian Workers’ Home hosted the banquet that followed the blessing of the new Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Joseph Campau and the Russian Balalaika Orchestra’s 15th-anniversary show. The concert focused on Russian folk music.
In 1943, the Ukrainian Workers’ Home changed its name to the Ukrainian American Center. It continued to support Ukrainians in the Metro Detroit area and had a bar for members of the organization.
In 1951, the hall showed a color film of the Ukraine shot by Dr. John Yatchew of Windsor. The Ukrainian Graduates of Detroit presented the event. This must have been an interesting time at the organization. Many of the members were born in Ukraine, but their children had never seen it with their own eyes. Movies like this were a good way for them to get a taste of the old country.
In 1951, the organization was given a 30-day suspension and fined $250 for selling to a non-member and selling on Sundays. There’s a different liquor license for club organizations, like the Ukrainian American Center was, that only enabled them to sell to members. It’s similar to how organizations like the Fraternal Order of Eagles operate today.
After that, I haven’t been able to find much information about the structure. Throughout the 1970s, many obituaries stated that the deceased was a member.
In 1976, the building was one of many places in the state that offered bivalent swine flu shots.
A flyer floating around the internet indicates that Negative Approach, a punk band based in Detroit, played a show here. The band was together from 1981 to 1984, so the show would have been at some point in that range. There are numerous accounts online that have spoken about going to other punk shows and events there in the 80s.
In 1986, the Ukrainian American Center changed its name to the Ukrainian American Center Foundation, Inc., the same name it holds today. If I were to guess, I’d say this is when the structure at 2965 Carpenter Street fell out of Ukrainian hands. The organization, now based out of Macomb County, offers scholarships to students in Michigan of Ukrainian ancestry. Their Facebook page hasn’t been updated since May 2022.
Many folks online reported that the structure was, at some point, sold to the hospital next door and used for storage. The hospital closed around 2000.
In 2005, the City of Detroit had a ‘Sell-a-Thon’ to try and unload vacant commercial properties on their books, and 2965 Carpenter Street was on the list. The event took place at Cobo Hall.
Typically, when researching and photographing a building that’s been vacant for two-plus decades, I can see the reasons why. However, in the case of the Ukrainian Workers’ Home, I can’t. Although in Detroit, this structure sits on the border of Hamtramck. Take more than a few steps outside the door, and you’re not in Detroit anymore.
In recent decades, Hamtramck has seen an influx of immigrants from countries like Yemen and Bangladesh. In recent years, young people from across Metro Detroit have moved there because it offers a walkable city experience with a plethora of food, live music, and bar options. Plus, Detroit City Football Club plays there—what else could you ask for?
Hamtramck isn’t a wealthy city, but I’m surprised, given this structure’s proximity to it, that something hasn’t been done with it.
The Ukrainian Workers’ Home is owned by Midwest Creative Investment, LLC, a group based out of Ann Arbor. I have found no plans for the building online.
Hopefully, this one will find a use, or at least be stabilized, sooner than later.
