8725 Gratiot Avenue
Dave Livesay Dry Cleaning Plant
The original address for this structure was 2051 Gratiot Avenue. After the city-wide address change in 1921, it became 8725 Gratiot. I’m not certain what this structure was then, but I believe it was built in the 1910s. Regardless, this structure will be reduced to rubble and transformed into something incredibly monotonous within a few weeks: another vacant lot.
In 1939, the structure was for sale. The advert listed it as having a 40-foot lot, a large attic, and a 10-room house. The price was $9,000, or roughly $180,000 today.
By 1946, there was a cleaner shop here. They were hiring in the Detroit Free Press—offering good wages and steady work. This particular ad was looking for silk pressers.
In 1952, the shop was robbed. According to the Detroit Free Press, there were three customers inside when it happened, none of whom did anything to stop it. Two men entered the store while Dave Livesay, the 45-year-old owner, was in the back storeroom. They took his combination adding machine/cash register, valued at $300, with $61 inside.
In 1964, the cleaners were hiring employees again. I’m not certain if Livesay was still running the joint, but the owner wanted somebody good with wool and silk. Today, we don’t consider dry cleaning a skilled profession (we should), but it was a common job in Detroit for decades. There were a lot of people; more people meant more clothing.
In 1997, the dry cleaning plant was put up for sale in the Detroit Free Press. There were multiple ads, so I’m unsure if it ever sold. Considering its current condition, I’d guess this is around when it was abandoned.
Despite looking structurally sound, the paint on the main floor is peeling in an incredibly satisfying way, almost as if somebody had taken an apple peeler to it in places. The demolition crews have had this one prepped for a few weeks, so I’d imagine work will begin any day. It’s a bummer; this one doesn’t look that bad.
