Mission Church (Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mission Church
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Front of the church in 2011
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Huron St. at Truscott St., Mackinac Island, Michigan |
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| Built | 1829–1830 |
| Built by | Martin Heydenburk |
| Architectural style | Colonial, New England Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000409 |
| Added to NRHP | January 25, 1971 |
The Mission Church is a very old church building on Mackinac Island, in Michigan, United States. It was built in 1829. This makes it the oldest church building still standing in the state of Michigan.
In 1971, the Mission Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historical places across the country. Before this church, another church called Sainte Anne Church was already on the island. It served the French and Métis people who lived there.
Contents
What the Mission Church Looks Like
The Mission Church was built in a style called New England Colonial. It is a rectangular building with one and a half stories. It sits on a stone base and has wooden siding.
The church is made with strong wooden beams inside. The walls are smooth with plaster. At the front, there is a double door for entering. Above the entrance, there is a square tower. This tower has an eight-sided bell tower on top. The roof is covered with wooden shingles.
History of the Mission Church
Long ago, in the 1600s, French missionaries came to this area. They started a mission for the Ottawa people. Their first church building was moved to Mackinac Island around 1780. This was the Sainte Anne Church. It was used by the French and Métis people who lived on the island. A new Sainte Anne Church was built in 1874 and is still used today.
The First Protestant Mission
The first Protestant missionary on Mackinac Island was David Bacon in 1802. After the War of 1812, more American settlers moved to the island. In 1823, missionaries named William Montague Ferry and his wife Amanda started a Protestant mission. They built it on the southeast side of Mackinac Island.
This mission mainly aimed to teach Native American youth. Students came from all over the Great Lakes area. In 1825, the Ferrys built a boarding school. The schoolroom was also used as a chapel for church services.
During the winter of 1828-1829, the church group grew quickly. It added 33 new people, making a total of 52 members. Important island residents joined the church. These included Robert Stuart from the American Fur Company. Also, Henry Schoolcraft, who studied geography and cultures, joined. His wife, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, who was English and Ojibwe, was also a member. A carpenter named Martin Heydenburk was part of the group too.
In 1829 and 1830, this growing group built the Mission Church. Martin Heydenburk and his helpers cut and shaped the wood on the mainland. They brought it to the island and finished the church during the winter. The church was officially opened on March 4, 1831.
The church group eventually had about 80 members. But things changed on the island. The fur trade slowed down in the 1830s, and the American Fur Company left. The Native American tribes that the mission school served were moved to lands west of the Mississippi River. Because of these changes, the mission and the church group became smaller. The Ferrys left Mackinac Island in 1834. In 1837, the mission closed down. The church building was sold to a private owner in 1838.
Later Years of the Church
For some years, the church building was used for different things. People held political meetings and plays there. Sometimes, church services were still held. In 1870, the roof was repaired. The Catholic Church used it for a short time until their new Sainte Anne's Church was built in 1874. The Mission Church building continued to get old and worn out.
In the late 1800s, Mackinac Island became a popular summer vacation spot. People from big cities like Chicago and Detroit came to visit. The Grand Hotel was built in 1887. The many summer visitors soon needed more space for Protestant church services.
In 1894, a group of residents bought the church. They wanted to use it for services that were open to all Protestant groups. They fixed up the church, and it reopened in the summer of 1895.
For many years, the church was used for Protestant services, mostly in the summer. The Mackinac Island State Park Commission bought the building in 1955. They did some repairs to it. In the 1980s, the church was fully restored. As of 2025, the church is open to visitors every day in the summer. People can also rent it for weddings.
Images for kids
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Mission Church, around 1895
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Front of church in 1936
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Around 1900
See also
- Oldest churches in the United States
