Religious Structures of Woodward Avenue Thematic Resource Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Religious Structures of Woodward Avenue TR
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Central United Methodist Church from across Woodward
Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Detroit, Michigan
Built	1859–1929
Architect	James Anderson, Sidney Rose Badgley, Hugh B. Clement, Ralph A. Cram, C. Howard Crane, Donaldson and Meier, J. Adam Fichter, William E. N. Hunter, Albert Jordan, Albert Kahn, Gordon W. Lloyd, Malcomson & Higginbotham, George D. Mason, James J. Nettleton, William H. Nicklas, Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, Guy J. Vinton, Henry A. Walsh
Architectural style	Tudor Revival, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival, Beaux Arts, Classical Revival
MPS	Religious Structures of Woodward Avenue TR
NRHP reference No.	82002893 - 82002896, 82002898, 82002899, 82002904, 82002905, 82002906, 82002908, 82002911, 82002912, 82002916, 82002918 - 82002921
Added to NRHP	August 3, 1982

The Religious Structures of Woodward Avenue Thematic Resource (TR) is a special group of historic buildings. These buildings are churches and synagogues located along Woodward Avenue in Detroit and Highland Park, Michigan. They were officially recognized as important historical sites on August 3, 1982, by being added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are protected and valued for their history and architecture.

History of Woodward Avenue's Religious Buildings
- Woodward Avenue's Early Days
- Changes Over Time
Why These Buildings Are Important
- Architectural Styles and Features
- Famous Architects and Their Work
Historic Religious Structures on Woodward Avenue
- Other Important Religious Buildings
See also

History of Woodward Avenue's Religious Buildings

Woodward Avenue's Early Days

In the early 1800s, Detroit grew mostly to the east and west of Woodward Avenue. Areas like Fort Street and Jefferson Avenue were popular for homes. Woodward Avenue itself started to become a residential area during the American Civil War. This happened as the downtown area became more focused on businesses.

By the early 1900s, Woodward Avenue was a fancy residential street. It stretched north to where Interstate 94 is today. Grand mansions belonging to wealthy families stood next to beautiful churches. While most of these mansions are now gone, many of the churches are still standing and are part of this historic group.

Changes Over Time

After 1900, cars became more common, and Detroit grew even larger. Woodward Avenue quickly changed from a quiet residential area. It became a mix of shops, offices, and apartment buildings. Many families who lived in the old mansions moved to newer neighborhoods. As these original owners passed away, their large homes were often divided into apartments or torn down.

As more people moved north, new churches were built to serve them. A number of churches were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s in these northern areas. Also, in 1909, the Highland Park Ford Plant opened in Highland Park. This led to a big increase in people living there, and more churches were built to meet their needs.

In the mid-1930s, Woodward Avenue was made much wider just north of downtown Detroit. Almost every building on the east side of the street was torn down. Many of the churches in this historic group had to rebuild the front parts of their buildings. Later, in the 1950s and 60s, most of the remaining old homes in the area were also removed.

Why These Buildings Are Important

The religious buildings on Woodward Avenue are important for several reasons. They show a wide range of ages and architectural styles. Even though they look different, they share some common features.

Architectural Styles and Features

These buildings include various styles:

Three churches built between 1859 and 1887 are in the High Victorian Gothic style.
Two structures from 1889-1896 are in the Richardson Romanesque style.
Two synagogues built between 1902 and 1922 show the Neo-Classical style.
Five churches from 1909-1926 are in a Gothic style with a central layout.
Seven churches from 1908-1930 are in the Neo-Gothic style.

All these buildings are made of stone, or brick with stone details. Most of them are located on corner lots. Many also have other buildings nearby, like a house for the clergy or a smaller chapel. They usually sit far back from the street. However, those affected by the 1935-36 widening of Woodward Avenue are closer to the road.

Famous Architects and Their Work

These structures represent important work by well-known architects. For example, Albert Kahn designed both of the Temple Beth-El buildings. He was famous for his industrial buildings. Sidney Rose Badgley designed the Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church. This church is a great example of his unique "auditorium church" style.

Ralph A. Cram designed the St. Paul Cathedral, which was a major project early in his career. Gordon W. Lloyd, who designed the Central United Methodist Church, was a leading church architect in Michigan in the late 1800s. Similarly, William E. N. Hunter, who designed two Methodist churches, was a top church architect in Michigan in the early 1900s.

Historic Religious Structures on Woodward Avenue

This special group includes nineteen buildings that are important for their architecture and history. They are spread out over six miles along Woodward Avenue. You can find them from Grand Circus Park in Detroit all the way to just south of McNichols.

The table below lists these structures, starting from the south and moving north:

Resource name	Also known as	Address	Built	City	Note
Central United Methodist Church		23 E. Adams (at Woodward)	1866	Detroit
St. John's Episcopal Church		2326 Woodward (at Fisher Freeway)	1859	Detroit
Woodward Avenue Baptist Church	United House of Jeremiah	2464 Woodward	1886	Detroit	The Woodward Avenue Baptist Church was destroyed by fire in 1986 and removed from the list in 1988.
First Unitarian Church of Detroit	Church of Christ of Detroit	2870 Woodward (at Edmund Place)	1889	Detroit	Destroyed by a fire in May 2014
Temple Beth-El	Bonstelle Theatre	3424 Woodward	1902	Detroit
Cathedral Church of St. Paul		4800 Woodward (at Hancock)	1908	Detroit
Our Lady of the Rosary Church	Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church	5930 Woodward (At Edsel Ford Freeway)	1883	Detroit
Metropolitan United Methodist Church		8000 Woodward (at Chandler)	1922	Detroit
Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church	Abyssinia Church of God in Christ	8501 Woodward (at Philadelphia)	1908	Detroit
First Baptist Church	Peoples Community Church	8601 Woodward (at Pingree)	1909	Detroit
North Woodward Congregational Church	St. John's Christian Methodist Episcopal Church	8715 Woodward (at Blaine)	1911	Detroit
Temple Beth-El	Bethel Community Transformation Center	8801 Woodward (at Gladstone)	1921	Detroit
Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church	St. Matthew-St. Joseph Episcopal Church	8850 Woodward (at Holbrook)	1926	Detroit
Central Woodward Christian Church	Little Rock Baptist Church	9000 Woodward	1926	Detroit
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament		9844-54 Woodward (at Arden Park-Belmont)	1913	Detroit
Highland Park Presbyterian Church	Park United Presbyterian Church	14 Cortland (at Woodward)	1910	Highland Park
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church	Prayer Temple of Love Cathedral	12375 Woodward (at Highland)	1929	Highland Park
Trinity United Methodist Church	New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church	13100 Woodward	1922	Highland Park
First United Methodist Church	Soul Harvest Ministries	16300 Woodward (at Church)	1916	Highland Park

Other Important Religious Buildings

Before the Religious Structures of Woodward Avenue TR was approved, three other religious buildings along Woodward were already listed on the National Historic Register. These are also very important historic sites:

Resource Name	Also known as	Address	Built	City	Note
Mariners' Church		Jefferson and Randolph	1849	Detroit	Added earlier (April 11, 1971)
First Presbyterian Church	Ecumenical Theological Seminary	2930 Woodward	1889	Detroit	Added earlier (December 19, 1979)
First Congregational Church		33 Forest (at Woodward)	1891	Detroit	Added earlier (July 4, 1979)