St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church (Detroit) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church and Rectory
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St Thomas the Apostle, 1989
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| Location | 8363-8383 Townsend Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th century revival |
| Demolished | January 1992 |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000785 |
| Added to NRHP | June 29, 1989 |
The St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church was an important building in Detroit, Michigan. It was located on Townsend Avenue. This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Sadly, the building was later taken down.
Contents
History of St. Thomas Church
The St. Thomas the Apostle community was a Roman Catholic group. Many people in this group were Polish-American. It started in 1914. The church was built in 1923. It was on the eastern side of Detroit, where many Polish families lived.
Life at the Parish
The church community, called a parish, was very active. It had both a grade school and a high school. These schools helped educate many children in the area.
Over time, the neighborhood started to change. The original Polish families began to move away. Because of these changes, the St. Thomas the Apostle parish closed in 1989. The church building itself was taken down in 1993.
What Happened to the School?
Even though the church is gone, the school building is still used. Today, it is called the St. Thomas Assessment Center. This center helps young people who are going through difficult times.
What the Church Looked Like
The St. Thomas the Apostle complex had several buildings. These included the church, a rectory (where priests lived), a school, and a convent (where nuns lived). There were six buildings in total.
Church Design and Features
The church building had a Romanesque style. This means it looked like old Roman buildings, with rounded arches. It also had some Art Deco features, which was a popular design style in the 1920s.
The church was built with bricks. It had a strong base made of limestone. The building was decorated with limestone and colorful glazed tiles. These tiles are called faience.
The front of the church had several sections with sloped roofs. The main entrance was in the middle. It had a porch with columns and arches. High up on the front, there was a large sculpture. It showed a special symbol called the Eucharist. Inside, the church had beautiful stained glass windows. There were also many bronze artworks.
The rectory was a large, two-story building. It had extra rooms in the attic with windows, called dormers.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Santo Tomás Apóstol (Detroit) para niños
