Fort Street Presbyterian Church (Detroit) facts for kids
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Fort Street Presbyterian Church
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Fort Street Presbyterian Church from the northwest
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| Location | 631 West Fort Street Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1855, 1877 |
| Architect | O. & A. Jordan |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000424 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 03, 1971 |
The Fort Street Presbyterian Church is a historic building in Detroit, Michigan. You can find it at 631 West Fort Street. This church was first built in 1855. After a fire, it was completely rebuilt in 1877.
In 1971, the church was recognized as a special place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It also became a Michigan State Historic Site. The church's tall steeple reaches about 265 feet (81 meters) high. This makes it one of the tallest churches in the United States.
Contents
How the Church Started
Detroit grew very quickly in the 1830s and 1840s. Many English Protestants moved to the city. In 1849, Reverend Robert Kellogg started a new church. It was called the Second Presbyterian Church. It began with 26 founding members.
At first, the group met in the old Capitol building. The next year, they built their own church. It was located on the corner of Lafayette and Wayne Street.
Building and Rebuilding the Church
In 1852, two brothers, Albert and Octavius Jordan, came to Detroit. They were architects from Hartford, Connecticut. Soon, they became important architects in the city.
Designing a New Church
In the mid-1850s, the Second Presbyterian Church decided to build a bigger church. Even though they only had 167 members, they hired the Jordan brothers to design it. They chose a spot on Fort Street. This area was a popular place to live. Many important citizens lived there. Some of them were church members. These included Russell A. Alger and James F. Joy.
After moving, the church changed its name. It became the Fort Street Presbyterian Church.
Fires and Rebuilding Efforts
The first church building was finished in 1855. It cost $70,000. This was a lot of money back then. Because of the cost, the inside of the church wasn't fully finished for 15 years.
In 1876, a big fire destroyed the building. The inside was ruined, the roof collapsed, and the steeple fell onto Fort Street. But the church was rebuilt quickly. It followed the original architectural plans. The rebuilding was finished on June 10, 1877.
Another major fire happened in 1914. This fire also destroyed the roof. But again, the church was rebuilt. It still looks much like the Jordan brothers designed it. After the 1877 rebuilding, its 265-foot steeple was the tallest building in Detroit and Michigan. It held this record from 1877 to 1909.
Church Architecture and Design
The Fort Street Presbyterian Church is a beautiful example of Gothic Revival style. It is made from limestone from Malden, Ontario.
Outside the Church
The front of the church has a very tall tower. This tower is 265 feet (81 meters) high. It has a spire at the top. On the other side, there is a shorter, eight-sided tower. This smaller tower looks like one from King's College Chapel in Cambridge. A large stained glass window in the center lights up the main worship area.
Along the sides of the church, there are seven sections. They have special supports called flying buttresses. These, along with decorative stone work and tall windows, make the church look light and airy.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church has a main area with three aisles. There is also a horseshoe-shaped balcony. Almost 1,000 people can sit inside. The church pews are made of hand-carved black walnut wood. The baptismal font is made of Caen stone. It is supported by onyx columns from Mexico.
The stone floor has special tiles. These were some of the first works by Mary Chase Perry Stratton. She started Pewabic Pottery. The solid brass lectern is shaped like an eagle. It was shown at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
The church organ was built in 1914 by Wangerian-Weickhardt. It has 3,253 pipes. These pipes range from 1/4 inch to 16 feet long. A small part of the original 1855 organ is still used in it.
Why the Architecture is Important
The Fort Street Presbyterian Church shows an important change in American architecture. In the mid-1800s, American architects started using the English Gothic Revival style. This style copied the rich details of old Medieval cathedrals. American architects took these "Gothic" parts. They combined them with simpler building plans. This created a new American style called "Victorian Gothic".
The Jordan brothers used this style. Their Fort Street Presbyterian Church is one of Michigan's oldest churches. It is also a top example of Victorian Gothic architecture. The church has stayed mostly the same, even after the fires in 1877 and 1914.
Later Years and Community Work
In the early 1900s, the church started to focus more on helping the community. More people with lower incomes moved into the area. In 1908, James Joy gave land next to the church. Mrs. Oren Scotten gave $50,000 to build the Church House.
This new building helped the church serve its new members. The church used the gymnasium in the Church House as a "health club." They offered gym classes for men, women, and children. The church also started one of the first Boy Scout troops in the western United States.
Church membership grew until the middle of the Great Depression. After that, membership and money for the church went down. In the early 1940s, there were plans to close the church. But World War II changed things. During the war, the church turned its gymnasium into a place for soldiers to sleep. These soldiers were arriving at the Fort Street Union Depot nearby. By the end of the war, the church had given temporary homes to 60,000 men.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Presbiteriana de Fort Street para niños
