2708 Joseph Campau Avenue
Henry Heck Jr. Home, Louis A. Aeschliman Home, Alma Pingnitz Home, Boarding House, Almighty God Missionary Tabernacle
There’s been a structure here since at least 1884 when the address first appears in the Detroit City Directory. Originally a home owned by Henry Heck Jr., the structure was likely modified over the years.
In 1897, there was a small structure on the parcel at the intersection of Hunt Street and the alley, which was likely a small home, as it had its own address. Additionally, the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps indicate there was another structure out back of the one pictured here that was connected, but I’m not sure what it was.
In 1898, the Hannan Real Estate Exchange sold this property for the City Savings Bank. The listing described it as a “one and a half story frame house.” The Hannan Real Estate Exchange was founded by William Hannan, a Detroit real estate developer whose wife would donate funds after his death to build the Hannan Memorial YMCA on Jefferson.
On May 27, 1910, a resident of this home died. Louis A. Aeschliman, son of Christian F. and Mary Aeschliman, died at 33. His funeral was at his residence, 530 Jos. Campau, pictured here.
In 1920, there was an advert in the Detroit Free Press for rooms to rent inside the home. Renters were allowed to use other parts of the house, including the piano.
After the citywide address change, this structure’s address was 2708 Joseph Campau.
In 1933, Miss Alma Pingnitz lived here. Her name was in the paper because her fiance, Paul Schwenke, took his own life by drinking poison in his engraving shop on the 6th floor of the Peninsula Broadway Building on Broadway downtown. Schwenke had recently visited his sister in Germany and discovered that some of his friends had ended their lives due to financial hardships, sending him into a spiral. He returned to Detroit with new engraving tools; however, the burden of losing his friends, lack of business at his job, and a loss of courage led to his decision. He left a $100 check to have his body cremated.
After that, I’ve found very little about this structure for a few decades. It was likely a home or rooming house before being converted into a church. In 1950, the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps listed the structure as a ‘Mission,’ which can mean many things. By then, the two other structures on the parcel were gone. It may have been some kind of shelter.
In 1988, Reverend Dr. Minnie Lacy incorporated the Almighty God Missionary Tabernacle. I’m not sure when, but at some point, the congregation moved into the structure pictured here. The church’s registered address was at a private residence, so there’s a chance that they met at this location from the get-go.
I’m unsure how long this church lasted or how long they utilized the space pictured here. In 2012, the nonprofit filed a DBA (doing business as or trade name) for the Detroit Dream Youth Church. The pastor at that time may have been Robertstein C. Dumas. The last report on file for the church was submitted in 2023, though I don’t think the congregation still meets anywhere.
In 2021, the home was purchased by Adam Soroka, and, according to a post in Historical Detroit Area Architecture, they planned to renovate it into a home for themselves. Since then, not much work has been completed; however, the church was painted dark green. The cross on the front remains red. Though the home needs a lot of work, there are still many ornamental details on the exterior visible from the street.
Hopefully, the owner can continue with their goal of renovating this structure towards its former glory. It deserves it!
