Guardian Angels Church (Manistee, Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Guardian Angels Church
|
|
Guardian Angels Church c. 1908
|
|
 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 371-375 Fifth St., Manistee, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Area | less than 1 acre |
| Built | 1888 |
| Built by | Noud and Kenny |
| Architect | Adolphus Druiding |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 100005180 |
| Added to NRHP | April 14, 2020 |
The Guardian Angels Church is a beautiful Roman Catholic church located at 371-375 Fifth Street in Manistee, Michigan. It's an important historical building and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. Today, Guardian Angels Church and St. Joseph Church are both part of the Divine Mercy Parish, which belongs to the Diocese of Gaylord.
Contents
Building a New Church: A Look at History
The very first Catholic church in Manistee, called Saint Mary, was built in 1862. In the 1870s and 1880s, Manistee grew a lot. This was because the mining and timber industries were booming. Many new people moved to the city.
A lot of these new residents were Catholic immigrants. They came from countries like France, Ireland, Germany, and Poland. Soon, the Saint Mary Church became too small for everyone. Also, people from different backgrounds sometimes preferred to worship together.
In 1884, the Polish community opened their own church, Saint Joseph. This helped with the space problem at Saint Mary. But the German and Irish immigrants also wanted their own parish. So, in 1888, the Guardian Angel church was planned. Father Herman Grimme was chosen to be its first pastor.
Designing and Building the Church
People started raising money for the new church in the summer of 1888. They hired Adolphus Druiding as the architect. He was known for designing many churches in the Midwest. The company Noud and Kenny was chosen to build the church.
Construction began in August 1888. Bishop Richter from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids placed the special cornerstone in September. The outside of the church was finished very quickly, mostly by January 1889. Much of the inside was done by May. However, the church was not officially opened until December 1890.
Growth of the Parish
Sadly, Father Herman Grimme passed away in 1891 from typhoid fever. Father J.M. Steffes took over as pastor. He stayed with the church for a very long time, forty-six years! By 1899, the church had more than 800 members.
Because the church was growing, a three-story schoolhouse was built in 1892–93. A convent for the Sisters of Mercy was added next door in 1903. A rectory (where the priest lives) was built in 1907. By the 1920s, the Guardian Angels school had between 150 and 200 students.
What the Church Looks Like
Guardian Angels Church is built in the Gothic Revival style, using brick. The brickwork is very fancy, with different patterns and designs. The front of the church has a tall bell tower in the middle. At 180 feet, it's the tallest building in Manistee!
The tower has a clock on all four sides and a large round window called a rose window. On top of the tower is a shingled steeple and a fourteen-foot white cross. On either side of the bell tower are stepped walls with small square towers.
At the bottom of the main tower, there are two large wooden doors that are eight feet tall. There are also two smaller doors on either side of the main entrance. Above these doors are beautiful stained glass windows. All the windows and doors have a rounded arch at the top.
The church's inside is designed like a basilica. It has a main altar at one end, surrounded by a large rounded area called an apse. The main part of the church, called the nave, can seat 450 people. There are six big stained glass windows along each side of the main worship area. There are also six more stained glass windows above the nave.
At the back of the church, there's a balcony. It used to have space for 200 more people. Now, it holds a large pipe organ built in 1910 by Henry Reinisch. The organ is in a beautiful oak case.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de los Ángeles de la Guarda (Manistee) para niños
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord
