St. Mary's Church Complex Historic District
Encyclopedia
The St. Mary's Church Complex Historic District is a historic district
located at the junction of Elm Avenue and North Monroe Street (M-125
) in the city of Monroe
, Michigan
. It was listed as a Michigan Historic Site
and added to the National Register of Historic Places
on May 6, 1982.
The complex itself consists of four buildings. The centerpiece of the district is St. Mary Church at 117 North Monroe Street. The church traces its origins to the St. Antoine aux Rivière Raisin, which was founded on October 15, 1788, and it is the oldest church in Monroe County
. The current site was constructed in 1834, consecrated
in 1839, and renamed in 1845. That year, the church fell under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
, and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
was founded in Monroe the same year. In 1846, St. Mary Academy was an all girls educational facility built down the road from the church, while Monroe Catholic Central was an all boys school built right next to the main church. These two schools merged together in 1986 to form the coeducational St. Mary Catholic Central
(SMCC) high school, which stayed in the heavily expanded Monroe Catholic Central building next to the church at 108 West Elm Avenue. It remains there to this day as the largest building in the historic district and the largest private school in the county.
The original church building remained unchanged from its completion in 1839 until it was expanded in 1903. The Brothers of the Holy Cross residential building was constructed in 1870, and the St. Mary Parochial Elementary School was completed in 1903. The current rectory
was added to the north side of the church in the 1920s. All of these buildings have their own unique architecture. With only some additions to the SMCC building, the remaining buildings on the complex have remained largely unchanged since the 1920s. Today, St. Mary Church is one of the most important religious institutions in Monroe.
The St. Mary's Church Complex Historic District is bordered to the west by Borgess Avenue, to the north by West Willow Street, to the south by Elm Avenue, and to the east by North Monroe Street (M-125
) for an area of about 60 acres (24 hectares). The district is located across Elm Avenue from the George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument
and across North Monroe Street from the East Elm-North Macomb Street Historic District
. The church complex is also located just across the River Raisin
from the Old Village Historic District
.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
located at the junction of Elm Avenue and North Monroe Street (M-125
M-125 (Michigan highway)
M-125 Connector is a connector route running through Erie. It connects I-75 with M-125. It is a four lane divided highway for its entire length, named "Summit Street" in Erie. It is known internally to the Michigan Department of Transportation as "Connector 2"...
) in the city of Monroe
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It was listed as a Michigan Historic Site
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is in charge of the listing of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of Michigan, including buildings, lighthouses, bridges, historic districts, and many other properties deemed important to the history of Michigan...
and added to 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...
on May 6, 1982.
The complex itself consists of four buildings. The centerpiece of the district is St. Mary Church at 117 North Monroe Street. The church traces its origins to the St. Antoine aux Rivière Raisin, which was founded on October 15, 1788, and it is the oldest church in Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
. The current site was constructed in 1834, consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in 1839, and renamed in 1845. That year, the church fell under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne...
, and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are a Catholic teaching order for women. It is divided among three separate congregations. The original community of the order is headquartered in Monroe, Michigan. The Mother house currently houses more than 400 sisters, more than 100 of which...
was founded in Monroe the same year. In 1846, St. Mary Academy was an all girls educational facility built down the road from the church, while Monroe Catholic Central was an all boys school built right next to the main church. These two schools merged together in 1986 to form the coeducational St. Mary Catholic Central
St. Mary Catholic Central
St. Mary Catholic Central High School, known colloquially as SMCC, is a private, coeducational Catholic senior high school located at 108 West Elm Avenue in Monroe, Michigan. The school is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. The school itself is listed as a contributing property...
(SMCC) high school, which stayed in the heavily expanded Monroe Catholic Central building next to the church at 108 West Elm Avenue. It remains there to this day as the largest building in the historic district and the largest private school in the county.
The original church building remained unchanged from its completion in 1839 until it was expanded in 1903. The Brothers of the Holy Cross residential building was constructed in 1870, and the St. Mary Parochial Elementary School was completed in 1903. The current rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was added to the north side of the church in the 1920s. All of these buildings have their own unique architecture. With only some additions to the SMCC building, the remaining buildings on the complex have remained largely unchanged since the 1920s. Today, St. Mary Church is one of the most important religious institutions in Monroe.
The St. Mary's Church Complex Historic District is bordered to the west by Borgess Avenue, to the north by West Willow Street, to the south by Elm Avenue, and to the east by North Monroe Street (M-125
M-125 (Michigan highway)
M-125 Connector is a connector route running through Erie. It connects I-75 with M-125. It is a four lane divided highway for its entire length, named "Summit Street" in Erie. It is known internally to the Michigan Department of Transportation as "Connector 2"...
) for an area of about 60 acres (24 hectares). The district is located across Elm Avenue from the George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument
George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument
The George Armstrong Custer Equestrian Monument, also known as Sighting the Enemy, is an equestrian statue of George Armstrong Custer by Edward Clark Potter, located in Monroe, Michigan. The statue was unveiled on June 4, 1910...
and across North Monroe Street from the East Elm-North Macomb Street Historic District
East Elm-North Macomb Street Historic District
The East Elm-North Macomb Street Historic District is a residential historic district located in the city of Monroe in Monroe County, Michigan. The district was listed as a Michigan Historic Site and added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1982.This district comprises...
. The church complex is also located just across the River Raisin
River Raisin
The River Raisin is a river in southeastern Michigan, United States that flows through glacial sediments into Lake Erie. The area today is an agricultural and industrial center of Michigan. The river flows for almost , draining an area of in the Michigan counties of Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw,...
from the Old Village Historic District
Old Village Historic District (Monroe, Michigan)
The Old Village Historic District is a commercial and residential historic district consisting of the downtown area of the city of Monroe in Monroe County, Michigan...
.