531 South Harbaugh Street
Michael Papp Market
I’ve never thought much about this structure; however, it came onto my radar in recent weeks. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to figure out much. Here’s what I’ve been able to find so far about this little building in Delray:
I believe this structure was built for the Papp family; however, they may have moved their market into it. In the 1928/29 Polk City Directory, the Papp family lived at 8934 Dearborn Street, the present-day location of a cinderblock automotive structure with a fence around it with the same owner as the structure pictured here. Michael Papp was listed as a grocer.
The structure pictured here was built around 1930 to house a market. A ghost sign on the structure’s side says ‘Michael Papp Market’ with Vernors ginger ale signage below it. Likely, this was covered by another structure for decades. It’s been exposed to the elements for at least 15 years. On the lower portion of the ghost sign, there may be information on another grocery, but I can’t make it out. It looks like it says ‘Joseph [last name] Groceries and Meats.’ There’s a chance this is older than the Michael Papp grocery sign, but I can’t be certain.
By March 1943, Michael’s son, Michael Papp Jr., had joined the armed forces. A little over a year later, his mother may have become a United States citizen. The family was Hungarian.
On August 26, 1944, Michael Papp, Jr. was killed in action in New Guinea. The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands were the primary defense against Japan, and thousands of Americans lost their lives, including a 20-year-old Detroiter named Michael Papp, Jr., who inevitably walked through this structure numerous times. His obituary said he was a Southwestern Graduate and a former Ford employee. His parents were still listed at 8934 Dearborn when he died.
After that, I haven’t found much information on the Papp family. Anna, Michael Sr.’s wife, died in 1970. I’m not certain when the Papps closed their market or moved away from Delray, but this structure has looked like this for as long as anyone I’ve asked can remember.
For most of its recent history, this structure appears to have been used for storage. There are a handful of dogs in the side yard to protect the place, all of which appear well-fed. One of the dogs, which seems to be a mix of some sort, loves sticking his paws on the fence and barking like mad at anyone and anything that comes by.
When the Evangelical Hungarian Reformed Church (later Peter’s Rock Missionary Baptist) next door burned down in November 2022, the ghost sign became more visible from Dearborn Street, and the owners were forced to fix their fences on that side due to damage from the fire. I hope that the dogs were not hurt when the structure came down.
While photographing the structure on this occasion to prepare for this post, it was a downpour. When I started, it was only a mild sprinkle; however, by the end, I was soaked. A man approached me as I was shooting it, asking what I was doing. He said he owned the property, and we spoke at length about the mural, the neighborhood, and his experiences. Despite not seeing eye to eye on everything, he was a kind man.
Online records show that a living trust owns it; however, it may be in the process of being sold. Regardless, the man I spoke with said he looked after the property and the dogs and hoped to repaint the mural. I’d love to see that, as it’s an interesting peak into Delray’s past. There aren’t any markets in Delray anymore, let alone a specialty market like Michael Papp’s.
Detroit used to be littered with small structures like this one that served a purpose. As time went on, that purpose shifted; however, that doesn’t make it any less noble. As population loss continues to affect the Motor City, it’s hard to know what will happen to all of these buildings. Most aren’t architecturally or historically significant; however, their mere existence played a vital role in the childhood memories of hundreds of thousands of former Detroiters and was a way for many to make a living. Unfortunately, many profitable businesses often led to residents fleeing the city, but I digress. Needless to say, I adore little structures like this, and it pains me to see them get torn down. Hopefully, the man I talked with can ensure this one stands for a long time.
I’ll definitely be back to take photos of the mural and to get barked at by my four-legged buddies behind the fence.
