4800 Michigan Avenue
Bank of Detroit Branch, Tancza Drugs, Dick’s Drugs, Iglesia de Jesucristo Ministerio MFD (Church of Jesus Christ MFD Ministry)
This bank-turned-church was completed in 1920. Famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn completed the structure design. When it opened, it housed a Bank of Detroit Branch.
In the 1920s, Detroit was crawling with banks; many cities across the county were. Times were good, and modern banking was still young. However, the onset and lingering effects of the Great Depression knocked many of them out of business and caused the mergers of others. I’m not certain what happened to the Bank of Detroit, but the bank branch pictured here shuttered at some point during the Depression.
In 1940, the structure was utilized by Tencza Drugs, a business run by Charles Tencza. He ran ads in the Polish Daily News and kept his pharmacy open until 1 AM.
At some point, Tencza’s operation closed, and Dick’s Drugs moved in. I haven’t been able to learn much about this era of the structure’s existence.
After that, I’m not sure what happened inside this building. It may have stayed a store, or perhaps it was turned into a church or another business.
In 2001, Iglesia de Jesucristo Ministerio MFD was incorporated on the state level by Mario H. Ramos. In English, that’s Church of Jesus Christ MFD Ministry. The church has three parishes: one in Detroit, one in Grand Rapids, and one in Elkhart, Indiana. By 2007, the church was utilizing the old bank building at 4800 Michigan Avenue.
The church maintains the structure; however, it looks vastly different than it would have when it opened. Whereas I’m a fan of classic architecture, I’m happy to see this structure be looked after and used regularly. After all, a little color never hurt anyone.
If Albert Kahn was alive, what do you think he’d say?
