5047 Chene Street
Peoples State Bank Branch, Peoples Wayne County Bank Branch, United Church of God in Christ, Faithway United Ministries
The Peoples State Bank Branch at 5047 Chene Street was designed by Hans Gehrke and completed by 1925. By 1928, the bank was called the Peoples Wayne County Bank, and this branch was known as the Theodore-Chene Branch. Unfortunately, the bank wouldn’t make it through the Great Depression, and the bank building was put up for sale in 1937
The listing said it was a one-story stone and brick construction with a full basement and steam heat. The fireproof structure had three bathrooms, a vault, and high-grade equipment. It was listed for sale for $12,500 with $2,500 down by the First National Bank in Chicago, which handled many bank-building sales in this era.
In 1952, the structure was for sale again, this time at the hands of Robert Bliss Wolfe’s real estate company. His adverts for the building stated that it was suitable for a bank branch or finance company but would also work for a wholesale distributor or light manufacturing company. I’m not sure whether this suggestion hints that it was used for one of the latter two things or only indicates that it could be used for those purposes if need be. Banks were commonly used for manufacturing during World War II, but most of these shops closed after the war ended. At that point, numerous bank buildings in Detroit transitioned into peacetime uses, which often meant church.
The United Church of God in Christ in North Little Rock, Arkansas, was incorporated on August 13, 1951. In April 1976, the church was officially moved to Detroit, Michigan. They utilized 5047 Chene Street as their place of worship, eventually becoming or becoming affiliated with Faithway United House of God and Faithway United Ministries. A 1979 image from the Burton Historical Collection shows the United Church of God in Christ signage on the structure, including the cross coming off the corner that’s still present today. There was still a building next to the bank and homes behind it, all of which are now gone.
I believe the same parish has been housed by this old bank building ever since, but I can’t be certain. However, it’s still owned by and listed as Faithway United Ministries.
The first time I drove down Chene Street, I was struck by the number of vacant structures. I also noticed that most of those still utilized by the community were churches. Today, many of those churches are dying out with their congregations. As these churches disappear, their buildings often fall into disrepair, vandalized, or scrapped. Hopefully, that won’t be the case here.
Detroit is continuously changing and evolving. It’s hard to realize that if you live here because it’s happening in tiny doses all around you. It’s like growing out your hair. You won’t notice the dramatic changes occurring over the years because you’re living it; however, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed. If you don’t take pictures or write down what it looks like, you might not remember it.
I can only imagine what it was like to walk down Chene Street when Poletown East’s population was at its height. In 50 years, folks might say that same thing about right now. What do you think it’ll look like in a half-century?
