4845 Mt. Elliott Street
Erie Equipment Company, Inter Great Lakes Building Materials Company, Gulf City Collision
I believe this structure was completed in the 1930s; however, I don’t have any record of what was housed there until the 1950s. The 1949 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map labeled the structure as auto repair with a concrete floor and concrete block construction. It appears to be roughly the same size and dimensions as today, and the back portion of the parcel is labeled as an “Auto Truck Station.” There’s nothing on the three lots north of the structure and nothing on the lot to the south. On the north side, the closest building was a corner store with a bowling alley attached to the back.
In February 1951, The Erie Equipment Company announced it was moving from 5431 Wabash, near 14th and I94, to the structure pictured here. The owner, James R. Montgomery, said they planned to add to the structure to use it as their warehouse. I’m not sure any work was ever completed. The building was used for reconditioning used machinery, crane service, and general machinery storage.
There were ads in the paper for the company at this location in 1951; however, none after that year, and I haven’t found mention elsewhere.
In 1957, various ads in the paper advertised cars and tractors for sale with the address listed; however, there was no indication of what the structure was used for at that time.
On Tuesday, December 15, 1959, there was an auction here. I’m not sure which company went bankrupt, as there were multiple listed, but the auction started at 12303 Cloverdale Street in Northwest Detroit and ended up at 4845 Mt. Elliott Street, pictured here. The Whiteman Company was in charge of the auction.
Starting in September 1965, the Inter Great Lakes Building Materials Company ran ads for their business at this address. They sold new and used lumber and plumbing. The ads continued through January 1966.
After that, I haven’t found a record of what this structure was used for. In the not-too-distant past, Gulf City Collision had been painted on the facade, which is still slightly visible in the right light. The only mention of that company that I’ve found in the paper is when a murder occurred at a business that shared its name at 8815 Harper in December 1979, so it was likely unrelated.
Today, this structure is owned by an LLC with ties to Charles Rittenhouse in Southfield. Though it may not be historic or architecturally significant, little buildings like this are unique, and it’s a shame when they’re erased from the city’s landscape.
I wish the former signage was still there, though!
