You Learn Something New Every Day.

I've been by this house on Adelaide in Brush Park numerous times over the years, and have even taken a few pictures of it from time to time. However, it wasn't until today that I learned a bit about the home's history. According to the book Home In Detroit the famous comedian/actor Danny Thomas and his wife Rose Marie Mantell Thomas lived here beginning in 1936. The photos below show the home in 2004 and again in 2009.


*Special Note* a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Home in Detroit are being donated to Motor City Blight Busters.

Downtown Historic Movie Palace Tour Part 6

Music Hall opened as the Wilson Theater in 1928. It has an Art Deco facade with a Spanish Renaissance themed interior. Having left Orchestra Hall during the depression and playing at several other venues, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra moved into the Wilson Theater in 1946 and rechristened it Music Hall. When the Orchestra moved again in 1951 the building was used for other purposes. Rehabilitation began in 1973 and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places 1977. Music Hall is the last legitimate stage theater remaining in Detroit. It is the only Detroit venue built for the primary purpose of presenting live performances.

Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne

Born from anxiety raised from the conflict known as the Patriot war, Fort Wayne was constructed in 1843 in an effort to fortify the United States' Northern border with British Canada. The Fort has never seen conflict. However, Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne from Arcadia Publishing delves into the history of the fort from its earliest days as a mustering center, till its final days of military service as launch control for missile batteries during the Cold War.

The book describes the conditions that led to the fort's construction before thoroughly detailing the structure itself. Authors James Conway and David F. James have done a remarkable job compiling a host of historical blueprints and photos documenting the fort's design. Other chapters detail Garrison life and the fort's place in the community.

Through the years Fort Wayne became more than a military fortification for the city of Detroit. It was also a social center and a refuge. During the depression the old troop barracks were used as housing for homeless families and the Work Progress Administration provided jobs improving the fort. The fort was also home to those displaced by the 1967 riots. The last families left Fort Wayne in 1971.

The important final chapter of the book focuses on the Fort Wayne's life as a museum. The museum has fallen on hard times and is a mere shadow of its former self. Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne serves as a terrific reminder of what the fort once was and what it can be once again. The pages are filled will compelling facts and photos of this once proud citadel. Flipping through the pages one gets a sense of how important this nearly forgotten relic has been to our city.



Photos reprinted with permission from Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne, by James Conway and David F. Jamroz. Available from the publisher online at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling (888) 313-2665.

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces is a walk back in time to the Golden Age of Cinema. Authors Michael Hauser and Marianne Weldon have done a wonderful job stitching together the history of movie going in Detroit. Using photos from local archives, as well as Hauser's personal collection, the book provides glimpses of the city's lost treasures as well as rare looks at the survivors of that by gone era.

The origins of Detroit's movie palaces can be linked directly to the city's original entertainment district centered upon Monroe Street. Hauser and Weldon highlight the recital halls, vaudeville houses and burlesque theaters that dominated that area before moving on to cover the establishment of Grand Circus entertainment district. They detail the jewels of the necklace district with chapters devoted to the Capitol, Michigan, Fox, United Artists, Wilson, and Gem Theaters. The book wraps up with a look at the lost theaters of Downtown Detroit.

Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces provides a comprehensive photographic record of the dozens of theaters that existed downtown during the first half of the last century. The interior photos of these opulent theaters, both lost and restored, are the true treasures to be found within these pages. It is a tragedy that so many of these architectural gems have been lost or damaged beyond repair. For younger Detroiters who weren't a part of the theater-going experience during that fabulous era, Hauser and Weldon have given us wonderful a taste of what it must have been like.

This is another quality addition to Acradia Publishing's Images of America series. Without question, you should make it a part of your own personal reference library.

Photos reprinted with permission from Detroit's Downtown Movie Palaces, by Michael Hauser & Marianne Weldon. Available from the publisher online at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling (888) 313-2665.

South On Washington Blvd.

Historical photo from Virtual Motor City

December, 2004