Located at 13803 Puritan Detroit, MI 48227, the Howard Family Bookstore offers books, coffee, and tea in an environment where you can read, think, connect, and feel at home. Whether you're here to learn something new or simply slow down, this space was created with you in mind.
13803 Puritan was once just another abandoned building. Vacant for over 25 years, it sat overlooked and forgotten. A reminder of what had been lost, and what had yet to be rebuilt.
In June 2024, that changed.
The building was purchased by Jerjuan Howard, a native son of the neighborhood and founder of Umoja Debate League, with a vision to transform it into something meaningful. Not just a business, but a place rooted in purpose. A community bookstore.
For Jerjuan, this building is personal. He grew up just blocks away and walked past it every day on his way home from middle school. Where others saw decay, he saw possibility. Where others saw abandonment, he imagined restoration.
This transformation was never meant to happen alone.
The Howard Family Bookstore was developed through a community effort grounded in self-determination. Family, friends, and community members came together to bring the vision to life. They painted walls, installed floors, hung drywall, and built something that could belong to everyone.
People like Aaron Thomas gave their time, energy, and skill not for recognition, but because they believed in what this space could become. His contribution, like so many others, is permanently embedded in the foundation of this bookstore.
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