5818 Dubois Street
St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church Rectory
Expect an in-depth history post on this structure and the entire St. Stanislaus complex later this year (or when I can afford a wider lens to do it justice).
The Rectory for St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church has a demolition fence around it. The sign on the front door states that it’ll be demolished within two weeks of July 1st.
The structure is a part of the St. Stanislaus Historic District, designated by the City of Detroit in 1990; however, because it’s an emergency demolition due to safety concerns, the historic designation can’t save it.
This structure has been in a similar condition since the south wall fell in September 2020, which I reported on this page. It is silly that it only just now became unsafe; it was the entire time.
Regardless, this structure likely needed to go. It should never have been allowed to fall this far from grace; it was a truly handsome building until only a few years ago. The backside is crumbling into itself, and the roof is completely compromised. Even in this condition, the details still shine through; this place was special.
The St. Stanislaus complex, which included the church and rectory, not the schools, sold for a meager $2,500 at auction in 2013. You read that right—twenty-five-hundred-bucks. It has bounced around a few times since then and is currently owned by Stan LLC, which is based in New York City.
The church was stripped of most of its valuables by a previous owner looking to make a quick buck. It’s one of the most unique churches in the city, and if nothing is done to preserve it, it’ll continue to rot at the hands of owners in New York who obviously don’t care about it.
This structure, which once anchored Poletown East, will soon be no longer.
Image from the 1946 St. Stanislaus Stan-Em School Yearbook courtesy of M.S.
