Grosse Pointe Memorial Church
Encyclopedia
The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is a church located at 16 Lake Shore Dr. in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1990 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1993.
s was largely Roman Catholic. By the mid-19th century, though, the area was being used more heavily as a summer resort for residents of Detroit, and enough Protestants had moved into the area to warrant their own church. In 1865, a group of Grosse Pointe residents founded the nondenominational Grosse Pointe Protestant Evangelical Church; two years later, the group built a church at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Kerby on land donated by Rufus Kerby. In 1894, Joseph H. Berry donated land near his home, which encompassed the site of the present church. A second building, known as the "ivy covered church," was built on the site.
In 1920, the congregation reorganized as a Presbyterian church. Truman Handy Newberry
and his brother John donated nearly $300,000 to the congregation for a new church building, as a memorial to their parents John
and Helen. The congregation hired architect W. E. N. Hunter to design the current building, which consists of the church itself and four additional units, constructed between 1923 and 1927. In 1925, the church changed its name to "The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church," reflecting the Newberry's gift. The new sanctuary, built on the site of the ivy-covered church, was dedicated to the original founders of the congregation on May 15, 1927.
An educational wing was added to the structure in 1962. The additional space housed the Barbour Chapel, Fitt Library, Fellowship Hall, and more Christian Education facilities. The church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1993. In 1997, the church undertook a major renovation project, which included adding a lakeside enty and reception area and enlarging the chancel
.
structure built of ashlar
limestone trimmed with smooth sandstone and a slate roof. The structure is asymmetrically massed, with a cross-gable roof and bell tower. The front facade of the church is topped with a front gable. Each side elevation has four bays with pairs of stained-glass clerestory windows; the bays are separated by piers.
The central nave is laid out in the form of a Latin cross with a vaulted ceiling. Aisles on each side are separated from the nave by masonry pillars, with the clerestory windows above. On each side of the church, three-story cross-gabled units present arched entryways and flat-topped diamond-pane windows.
The church contains carvings by German sculptor Alois Lang
and stained glass windows designed by the Willet Studios.
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Grosse Pointe Farms is a suburban city bordering Detroit located in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It ranks as the 76th highest-income city in America. The population was 9,479 at the 2010 census. It is bordered by Grosse Pointe on the west, Detroit on the north, Grosse Pointe Woods...
. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1990 and 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 1993.
History
During the 18th and early 19th centuries, the area that is now the Grosse PointeGrosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe refers to a coastal area in Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States that comprises five adjacent individual communities. From southwest to northeast, they are:*Grosse Pointe Park, city*Grosse Pointe, city*Grosse Pointe Farms, city...
s was largely Roman Catholic. By the mid-19th century, though, the area was being used more heavily as a summer resort for residents of Detroit, and enough Protestants had moved into the area to warrant their own church. In 1865, a group of Grosse Pointe residents founded the nondenominational Grosse Pointe Protestant Evangelical Church; two years later, the group built a church at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Kerby on land donated by Rufus Kerby. In 1894, Joseph H. Berry donated land near his home, which encompassed the site of the present church. A second building, known as the "ivy covered church," was built on the site.
In 1920, the congregation reorganized as a Presbyterian church. Truman Handy Newberry
Truman Handy Newberry
Truman Handy Newberry was a U.S. businessman and political figure. He served as the Secretary of Navy between 1908 and 1909. He was a U.S. Senator from Michigan between 1919 and 1922.-Biography:...
and his brother John donated nearly $300,000 to the congregation for a new church building, as a memorial to their parents John
John Stoughton Newberry
John Stoughton Newberry was a U.S. Representative and industrialist from the state of Michigan.Newberry was born in Waterville, New York and moved with his parents to Michigan when a child, residing successively in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Romeo. He was the nephew of Walter Loomis Newberry and...
and Helen. The congregation hired architect W. E. N. Hunter to design the current building, which consists of the church itself and four additional units, constructed between 1923 and 1927. In 1925, the church changed its name to "The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church," reflecting the Newberry's gift. The new sanctuary, built on the site of the ivy-covered church, was dedicated to the original founders of the congregation on May 15, 1927.
An educational wing was added to the structure in 1962. The additional space housed the Barbour Chapel, Fitt Library, Fellowship Hall, and more Christian Education facilities. The church building 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 1993. In 1997, the church undertook a major renovation project, which included adding a lakeside enty and reception area and enlarging the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
.
Description
The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is a Neo-GothicGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure built of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
limestone trimmed with smooth sandstone and a slate roof. The structure is asymmetrically massed, with a cross-gable roof and bell tower. The front facade of the church is topped with a front gable. Each side elevation has four bays with pairs of stained-glass clerestory windows; the bays are separated by piers.
The central nave is laid out in the form of a Latin cross with a vaulted ceiling. Aisles on each side are separated from the nave by masonry pillars, with the clerestory windows above. On each side of the church, three-story cross-gabled units present arched entryways and flat-topped diamond-pane windows.
The church contains carvings by German sculptor Alois Lang
Alois Lang
Alois Lang was a Master Woodcarver at the American Seating Company, and one of the artists responsible for bringing the medieval art of ecclesiastical carving to life in the United States....
and stained glass windows designed by the Willet Studios.