St. Francis Solanus Mission facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Francis Solanus Mission
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | W. Lake St., Petoskey, Michigan |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1860 |
| Built by | Jean Baptiste Trotochard |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000614 |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
The St. Francis Solanus Mission is a very old and important building in Petoskey, Michigan. You can find it on W. Lake Street. It's the only building left in the Arbre Croche area from the time of Bishop Frederic Baraga. It's also the oldest building still standing in Petoskey. In fact, it's one of the oldest buildings in all of northern lower Michigan! Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Contents
History of the Mission
Building the First Church
Back in 1856, a priest named Father Lawrence Lautishar tried to build a church here. However, some Protestant missionaries had already settled nearby in 1852. They didn't want another church so close.
Bishop Frederic Baraga asked Father Lautishar to stop building. In 1858, Bishop Baraga and an Indian agent named A.W. Fitch helped everyone agree. They found a new spot for the church, a bit farther from the Protestant mission.
A New Home for Worship
In 1859, a carpenter named Jean Baptiste Trotochard gave one acre of his land. This land was perfect for the new mission church. Bishop Baraga accepted the gift and hired Trotochard to build the church.
The new church was finished and blessed by Bishop Baraga on July 23, 1860. Native Americans used this church for their worship until 1896.
The Mission Today
Today, the St. Francis Solanus Mission is looked after by Petoskey's St. Francis Xavier Church. The mission building was fully repaired and made new again in 2008.
You can visit the mission on certain Sundays during the summer tourist season. Also, a special church service is held there every year on July 14.
What the Mission Looks Like
The St. Francis Solanus Mission is a small church. It is made of wood and has a pointed roof. The building is about 30 feet long and 20 feet wide.
There are two windows on each side of the church. Each window has six small panes of glass on the top and six on the bottom. At the front, there's an added part with a tall, open bell tower. A Latin cross sits on top of the bell tower. There's also a covered entrance area with a slanted roof. A white picket fence goes all around the mission building.
Inside, the church is very simple. It has wooden seats that are about four inches wide. These seats do not have backs.
See also
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord
