Over the past 90+ years scores of people have worked tirelessly to bring community centers to life, keep them vibrant, then transition to new facilities when the time came. The museum has extensive scrapbooks, files, and detail for the community centers and organizations that benefited from them. Here, we offer highlights for all three of Ferndale’s past community centers.

Castle on the Nine / 434 West Nine Mile
(Spring 1933- May 1948)

Youth Incorporated was a depression-era social organization eventually located in the “Castle on the Nine” at 434 West Nine Mile. This was the earliest form of community center found.

It was reported that in Spring 1933, (at the depth of the Depression) a Mrs. J. L. Pickering of 25 Poplar Park Boulevard dreamed that there might be some sort of ideal organization where young people, finished with High School, and unable to secure positions or go on to college, might find wholesome recreation, instruction, inspiration and a purpose in life. This dream became “Youth Incorporated” which initially operated at the old Dutch Mill site (Woodward near Eight Mile) before finding a better home.

As Maurice Cole describes in his book, 434 West Nine Mile was a modest house which was considered a desirable location for youth activity. It was near the high school and near the business district of the city. The house was built prior to 1931. One of the closed banks owned the building, and it was willing to dispose of it, either for cash or for a specified amount in bank certificates. City youth, of course, had no cash, but they did have a desire and a determination to obtain a meeting place. With the help of the citizens of the area, they were able to secure enough bank certificates to buy the building.

This, however, was only the beginning. A complete remodeling job was necessary to put the property in usable condition. Here again our citizens came to the aid of our young people. Artisans of the community, recognizing the efforts of its youth, offered their services. Carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, people from almost every trade, joined in the project. Some materials were supplied; others were purchased (including used bricks from the demolition of a Detroit post office).

Classes started in the building in Spring 1933, but the building was not yet completed. In January 1934 the School Board voted to take ownership of the building so that federal Civil Works Administration (CWA) funds could be used to further improve it. By 1935 it had over 500 members and on Aug 7, 1935 the “Beerless Beer Garden” opened in the back yard, delighting youth, but not neighbors.

Young people could join a dance for 15 cents each – or two for a quarter - at garden events. The High School orchestra played, kids danced, and cars came from miles around. Soon neighbors complained about the noise & antics past midnight.

The facility could not cover its state tax debt and auctioned off its dance floor and some equipment in August 1936 to pay bills. The facility closed in 1937, the organization was dissolved in Oct 1939 and the building deeded to the Ferndale Board of Education.

It was run by the School Board as a recreation center until 1948 when the new Community Center at 400 East Nine Mile was opened. In June 1950 the dilapidated and once-again abandoned house had a for sale sign on it and was sold by July of that year. There were rumors that it was moved, which we could not substantiate.

Most likely it was demolished in 1950/51 to make way for a parking lot adjacent to Phil & Bill Rossen’s new “State Packing House Supermarket” at 430 West Nine Mile (as reported in the Aug 16, 1951 Ferndale Gazette, it would be the largest supermarket in Michigan when it opened on August 24, 1951).

That site was purchased by Borman market company in Sept 1959 and became a Food Fair, then a Farmer Jack, a discount grocery, and is now Ferndale Haus Loft Living.

The satisfaction this first community center ignited in Ferndale’s citizens provided the motivation to build a better community center!

400 East Nine Mile
(May 2, 1948 - Oct 27, 1994)

On May 1, 1947 the Ferndale Community Building Association kicked off a campaign to raise $100,000 to build a grand, two-story, Ferndale/Pleasant Ridge community center on the old 434 West Nine Mile site. The volunteers included hundreds of interested people, all local organizations, and called upon all local businesses to contribute. An interesting & ambitious flyer was created displaying the two-story goal of a community center. Fund raising got off to a brisk start – within a month it was estimated that they had commitments for nearly $50,000!

From 1947 to 1951, Ferndalians looked forward to the annual September “Key Days” festival (which became the Key Karnival in 1949). The event was a fundraiser for the Ferndale Community Building Association and proceeds also benefited the charitable projects of the several civic clubs that organized the celebration. In the weeks leading up to the festival, Ferndale residents purchased keys, which could be redeemed for prizes during Key Days. The full story about “Key Days and the Mystery Man” was in the Summer 2021 Crow’s Nest.

At the same time, the Triangle Engineering company at 400 East Nine Mile found they no longer needed their Ferndale building after war production ended. In October 1947 the Community Building Association purchased the Triangle Engineering building for $40,000, made up of donated funds, proceeds from 434 West Nine Mile, and a mortgage. Opening ceremonies were held on May 2, 1948.

John P. Maloney was hired to run the facility in January 1953. He and his Wife Ruth ran the facility successfully for many years – and it was often called “Maloney’s Mansion”. In a 1955 article he created a list of community center activities that included: A day nursery, Junior Achievement meetings, Exchange Club meetings, Retail Merchants meetings, Model Airplane contests, youth open houses, South Oakland County Hot Rod Club (in January 1993 the Dream Cruise would be started in this building), Rotary Club, Dale Carnegie meetings, dances, Newcomers Club, Senior Citizens, Ferndale Community Council, many civic & church group activities, Lincoln High School committees, Campfire Girls, Boy Scouts, all of the service clubs, Christmas parties, fund raise events, weddings, and countless other social events!

Another fund drive in 1955 raised over $55,000 to double the size of the facility which was dedicated Sept 16, 1956. Fundraisers and careful management allowed the Community Building Association to pay off the community center’s mortgage. A ceremonial photo on January 15, 1960 shows Association members at the event.

In January 1975, the Ferndale Community Building Association gave the community building to the City of Ferndale with the understanding that the building would be dually controlled by the Association and City through a board of control.

After nearly 30 years of community service a refresh was completed. The Community Center was renovated with help from Federal funds and was reopened on April 24, 1977. By 1994 the building had fallen into disrepair and was closed in October. Ownership reverted back to the Community Building Association when the decision was made to sell.

The building was sold in mid-Oct 1994 for $225,000 to Credit Union One for the development of their headquarters. The last event found was on Oct 27, 1994 and demolition started in December 1994.

When the building closed, the Ferndale Historical museum received dozens of files regarding the facility as well as the association. The files are available for further research at the museum.

Gerry Kulick Community Center
(September 22, 2001 – Oct, 2021)

Ferndale started looking for a new community center shortly after 400 East Nine Mile Rd was sold. The city had no community center for 7 years when the decision was made in March 2000 to convert Washington School into a Community Center leveraging a $500,000 grant from the State of Michigan.

The Kulick Center opened on Sept 22, 2001 (shortly after the tragic events of 9/11). The refurbished community center housed the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and offered several programs such as: fitness facilities, travel advice, activities for seniors, play apparatus and games for kids, teen events, plus classes & crafts for all ages.

The Kulick Community Center operated for nearly 19 years but was closed in the spring of 2020 due to safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It had been set to undergo $25,000 in structural repairs before reopening in the fall of 2021 but sustained significant damage during a storm in July of that year, causing a portion of the roof over the boiler room to cave in, closing the building indefinitely in October 2021. In September 2022, the city terminated its lease with the school board. The building remains in limbo as of this writing.

The detailed history of Washington School/Gerry Kulick Center - and future plans - can be found HERE.