Historic Trinity Lutheran Church facts for kids
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Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Complex
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1345 Gratiot Avenue Detroit, Michigan, United States |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Bernard C. Wetzel, W. E. N. Hunter |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000897 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 10, 1983 |
The Historic Trinity Lutheran Church is a special church in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It's part of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church complex. You can find it at 1345 Gratiot Avenue. This church was recognized as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The current pastor is Rev. Darryl L. Andrzejewski.
Contents
History of Trinity Church
Early Beginnings (1850-1866)
The Trinity church community started in 1850. Some members of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church decided to form their own group. St. Matthew's was a German-speaking church.
At first, they held services in a small chapel. This chapel belonged to Christ Episcopal Church. It was located at Jefferson and Hastings. Soon, the new group bought another chapel. It was from the Western Seaman's Friend Society. They moved this building to Rivard and Larned streets.
However, this building quickly became too small for everyone. So, in 1866, the church built a new brick building. This new church was at Gratiot and Rivard. This area was perfect for Trinity. Many German families lived near the Eastern Market at that time.
Growth and Changes
Over the years, Trinity helped start many other churches. They also opened schools and missions. In fact, 132 Lutheran churches in southeast Michigan can trace their beginnings back to Trinity.
In 1905, the church built a new school. They also added a social hall near the main church. But the area around Trinity began to change. Many families moved away from downtown Detroit. Also, fewer German immigrants were arriving. Because of these changes, Trinity started offering services in English. They still had German services too.
Building a New Church
In the late 1920s, Trinity thought about fixing up their old 1866 church. But a church member named Charles Gauss offered to pay for a brand new church. So, the old church was taken down.
The first stone of the new church was placed in 1929. This is called a cornerstone. The new church was officially opened on February 15, 1931.
Challenges and Revival
After World War II, many people moved out of downtown Detroit. They went to live in the suburbs. Because of this, many churches in Detroit lost members. Trinity also saw its membership go down.
But the pastor at that time, Gilbert Theodore Otte, wanted the church to stay downtown. In 1979, the city of Detroit recognized the 1931 church building as important. The state of Michigan did the same in 1982. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
By 1981, only 112 people were members of the church. In 1983, Rev. David Eberhard became the new pastor. He stayed until 2015. He started new programs that helped the church grow. In just five years, the number of members tripled!
Today, the church is still a busy place for Lutherans in Detroit. In 2012, it had over 2,100 members. The church is known as Historic Trinity. It is part of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Luterana Histórica de la Trinidad para niños
