8654 Mack Avenue
Wayne County Home & Savings Bank, Moonlight Bar, Frank & John Schmidt’s Moonlight Bar, Revelation Church Of Holiness
This structure was built for the Wayne County Home & Savings Bank in 1922 and was designed by Roland C. Gies. At some point, the Wayne County Home & Savings Bank merged with the Peoples State Bank to create the First National Bank. I’m not certain when the structure pictured here ceased operations as a bank, but I’d guess it was before the Great Depression ended, as many of Detroit’s banks went under by then.
By 1947, the structure was in use as a beer garden. Former bank structures saw and continue to see a variety of uses, from restaurants to stores and machine shops. In 1947, the structure was for sale.
By 1953, the former bank was home to the Moonlight Bar, which would remain there until at least 1956. It was once advertised as Frank & John Schmidt’s Moonlight Bar.
In 1962, Revelation Church Of Holiness was founded on Field Street by Reverend Owen Shields. By 1964, they had moved to 8633 East Forest, and by 1973, they were located at 8654 Mack Avenue, pictured here, where they remained until recently.
In the early 2000s, five churches and one nonprofit formed a coalition called Children of Tomorrow to help youth in the area. New Galilee MBC, Revelation Church of Holiness, Charlevoix Baptist Church, Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Raymond Church, and the non-profit Open Arms were involved. The group had after-school and weekend programs, such as basketball, chess, dance, human development, health education, and tutoring.
The pastor on the sign is Reverend Jimmy Patterson, the last known registered agent on paperwork submitted to Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. According to LARA, the church was dissolved in December 2020.
I have seen cars here multiple times since then, though it doesn’t appear fully operational. The church seems in good shape and is located on the outskirts of Indian Village and across from a growing Pingree Park neighborhood. Hopefully, this structure can be used by the public again in the near future.
