Abandoned Shelter of the Week

It is a little-known fact that Bob Kerns, one of the chief architects of the atomic bomb, was born and raised in the Detroit neighborhood of Delray. News Hits couldn’t help but wonder if Bob didn’t use this house at 514 Green in his old stomping grounds as a test site for an early draft of Little Boy or Fat Man. One neighbor says she has called the city on a weekly basis for almost a year and every time hears a promise that the remnants of this burned-out shell will be torn down. But as you can see, the city has yet to deliver. The overhang has fallen off the house and laid ruin to the front porch. Shards of broken glass, old shingles and bricks are strewn about the front and back yards. The charred remains of what appears to be the front door now rest in the weeds of the neighboring abandoned lot. Neighbors fear that the house is a prime candidate for acts of vandalism, childhood mischief, and, more seriously, arson. That is, if there’s much left to burn.

Text by editorial intern Adam Stanfel.
Photo by Adam Stanfel.

Editor’s note: If you know of an abandoned home you would like to see featured in this spot, send a photo and pertinent information to News Hits, c/o Metro Times, 733 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48226 (or e-mail [email protected]).

Check out all of our Abandoned Shelters of the Week