Eastern Market added a new piece of public art this week, dedicating a mural that honors Moses Primus Sr., the first known Black butcher to work at Gratiot Central Market, the century-old indoor meat hall next door to the market’s main drag. The artwork was unveiled Wednesday evening as part of First Wednesdays at the Market, the monthly celebration of music, food, drinks and art that regularly draws crowds to Detroit’s historic food district.
The dedication ceremony started at 6:30 p.m. during the broader event, which ran from 6 to 9 p.m., according to ClickOnDetroit. The mural is a collaboration between Marrow in the Market and Detroit artist Tony Whlgn, and the station reports it was designed to honor workers who helped build Eastern Market’s legacy while spotlighting the history of the butchery trade.
Moses Primus Sr. and the Meat Hall That Predates Eastern Market’s Modern Era
Gratiot Central Market, the meat hall at the center of the tribute, opened in 1915 at 1429 Gratiot Avenue to serve Detroit’s retail meat trade. It was rebuilt in 1991 after a fire tore through the building the previous year, according to Foresyte Travel.
That wasn’t the market’s only brush with disaster. A 1966 electrical fire destroyed Gratiot Central Market and pushed several older vendors into retirement, clearing space for family-owned shops like Ronnie’s Meats, which opened in the rebuilt hall in October 1967, per Ronnie’s Meats. Nearly a decade later, in 1975, the market drew national media attention during a friendly price battle nicknamed the Corned Beef War, pitting Ronnie’s Meats against rival butcher Wigley’s and drawing thousands of new shoppers through the doors.
Marrow’s New Riopelle Street Home Sets the Scene
The mural now lives at Marrow in the Market, the 14,000-square-foot butcher shop, dining room and USDA-inspected meat-processing facility the company opened in November 2025 at 2442 Riopelle Street, according to ClickOnDetroit. The building itself dates back to 1906, giving the new artwork a backdrop nearly as old as the butchery traditions it honors…