Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit is the cathedral
church of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan
. The cathedral is located at 4800 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan
, adjacent to the campus of Wayne State University
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
. The original site of St. Paul’s church was on Woodward Avenue, between Congress and Larned. In 1851 the church moved to the corner of Congress at Shelby.
The funeral service for Henry Ford
was held at Cathedral Church of St. Paul on Thursday April 9, 1947. Mourners passed by at a rate of 5,000 each hour at the public viewing the day before at Greenfield Village
in Dearborn
. At the funeral service, 20,000 people stood outside the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in the rain with 600 inside, while the funeral had attracted national attention as an estimated seven million people had mourned his passing.
Ralph Adams Cram
, dates from 1907. It remains unfinished
, the bell tower having never been completed. The church is built of limestone, using medieval construction techniques, with no supporting steel superstructure. The building boasts soaring, pointed arches, wide expanses of stained glass, and elaborate tracery, exemplary of Gothic architecture, and includes a large architectural installation of Pewabic Pottery
. In 1912 it became the cathedral of the diocese.
, built in 1876, is a premier example of early Victorian Gothic architecture.
In contrast, in the early 20th century more American architects attended new schools at M.I.T. and Columbia
, or traveled to France for training at the École des Beaux-Arts
. These architects, including Ralph A. Cram, felt that Gothic architecture should develop from, rather than simply copy, the architecture of Medieval churches. St. Paul's Cathedral is one of Cram's major early projects, one that defines his "Late Gothic Revival" style.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan
Episcopal Diocese of Michigan
The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is the Episcopal diocese in the southeast part of Michigan.The diocese traces its roots to the founding of St. Paul's, Detroit in 1824. It became a diocese of the Episcopal Church in 1836, one year before the State of Michigan entered the Union. It covered the...
. The cathedral is located at 4800 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, adjacent to the campus of Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
History
The parish of St. Paul was founded in 1824, as the first Episcopal and the first Protestant congregation in the then Michigan TerritoryMichigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
. The original site of St. Paul’s church was on Woodward Avenue, between Congress and Larned. In 1851 the church moved to the corner of Congress at Shelby.
The funeral service for Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
was held at Cathedral Church of St. Paul on Thursday April 9, 1947. Mourners passed by at a rate of 5,000 each hour at the public viewing the day before at Greenfield Village
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford, a National Historic Landmark, , in the Metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, USA, is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex...
in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
. At the funeral service, 20,000 people stood outside the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in the rain with 600 inside, while the funeral had attracted national attention as an estimated seven million people had mourned his passing.
Architecture
The current building, designed by renowned church architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Ralph Adams Cram
Ralph Adams Cram
Ralph Adams Cram FAIA, , was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partnerships in which he worked.-Early life:Cram was born on December 16, 1863 at Hampton Falls, New...
, dates from 1907. It remains unfinished
Unfinished building
An unfinished building is a building where construction work was abandoned or on-hold at some stage or only exists as a design...
, the bell tower having never been completed. The church is built of limestone, using medieval construction techniques, with no supporting steel superstructure. The building boasts soaring, pointed arches, wide expanses of stained glass, and elaborate tracery, exemplary of Gothic architecture, and includes a large architectural installation of Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery is a studio and school located in Detroit, Michigan and founded in 1903. The studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Pewabic Pottery is on display...
. In 1912 it became the cathedral of the diocese.
Significance
St. Paul's Cathedral is a fine example of the Late Gothic Revival, an architectural style popular in the early years of the 20th century. American architects of the mid-19th century imported and re-interpreted the English Gothic Revival style, based on the visually lush details of Medieval cathedrals. The American architects copied the "Gothic" elements and combined them with simple building plans to create an American architectural style known as "Victorian Gothic." The Fort Street Presbyterian ChurchFort Street Presbyterian Church
The Fort Street Presbyterian Church is a religious structure located at 631 W. Fort Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was originally constructed in 1855, and completely rebuilt in 1876. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site...
, built in 1876, is a premier example of early Victorian Gothic architecture.
In contrast, in the early 20th century more American architects attended new schools at M.I.T. and Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, or traveled to France for training at the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
. These architects, including Ralph A. Cram, felt that Gothic architecture should develop from, rather than simply copy, the architecture of Medieval churches. St. Paul's Cathedral is one of Cram's major early projects, one that defines his "Late Gothic Revival" style.