Abandoned churches of Detroit

**DetroitZack** · November-24-09, 08:35 PM

Thought I would make a thread for people to post pics of any abandoned churches they have pics of or know of. They for some reason interest me more then other abandoned buildings, if you know of any you would like a picture of then let me know.

King Solomon Baptist Church

Sludgedaddy · November-24-09, 08:55 PM

Praise the Lord...and Pass the Demolition.

**EastsideAl** · November-24-09, 09:18 PM

Where is this church?

**shovelhead** · November-24-09, 09:29 PM

Does anybody have any photos of St. Gabriel from the early 1940's?
I read somewhere that the present church was built in 1955.

My mother was confirmed there in 1941.

Before she moved out west in the mid 70's I took her around the areas she grew up, east Dearborn, west side and Delray. Salina School, [[the original one) and Fordson High.

Unfortunately I cannot remember where a lot of these places were.

My mother during the late 1940's belonged to a book club, and a lot of them had the addresses of the houses/apartments that she lived in. One of my aunts had them, but she was put in a nursing home and at that time I was living across the country and could not get back to save any of them. They were all given to the local library in Novi for their fifty cent book sale.

Thanks in advance for any help.

**Trumpeteer** · November-25-09, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by shovelhead

Does anybody have any photos of St. Gabriel from the early 1940's?
I read somewhere that the present church was built in 1955.

My mother was confirmed there in 1941.

Before she moved out west in the mid 70's I took her around the areas she grew up, east Dearborn, west side and Delray. Salina School, [[the original one) and Fordson High.

Unfortunately I cannot remember where a lot of these places were.

My mother during the late 1940's belonged to a book club, and a lot of them had the addresses of the houses/apartments that she lived in. One of my aunts had them, but she was put in a nursing home and at that time I was living across the country and could not get back to save any of them. They were all given to the local library in Novi for their fifty cent book sale.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I grew up in SW and went to St. Gabe's from 1st to 12th Grade. I have an anniversary program at home that I'll find and answer your question and try to scan/post some of the pixs from that booklet.

**stasu1213** · November-24-09, 09:19 PM

churches were there when the neighborhoods were strong and most of us suburbanite lived in them. When the neighborhood changed so did the attendance in the churches which resulted in clousures. Mega churches are another reason why these neighborhood churches had been abandoned. Just like the megastore such as Meijers, Walmart, Krogers, and Super Kmart, many church goers decided to go to the mega churches that are suffering now. Greed is the main cause for this flight. The glamorous shiney churches where prospertiy messages are being taught to the ill informed non bible reading congregations

**jcole** · November-24-09, 09:22 PM

Marquette and 14th, across from the new building.
King Solomon

Chuck_MI · November-25-09, 12:33 AM

St. Albertus at St. Aubin and Canfield in South Poletown still stands. It remained intact and unlooted throughout the 1990's. Don't know about now. Looks good on Google Earth. Probably year 2007 pictures, though.

**EastsideAl** · November-25-09, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Chuck_MI

St. Albertus at St. Aubin and Canfield in South Poletown still stands. It remained intact and unlooted throughout the 1990's. Don't know about now. Looks good on Google Earth. Probably year 2007 pictures, though.

I believe St. Albertus is still open:
http://www.stalbertus.org/

Retroit · November-25-09, 12:21 PM

Interesting architectural style on that King Solomon: Gothic meets American Craftsman?

**jackie5275** · November-25-09, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I believe St. Albertus is still open:
http://www.stalbertus.org/

St. Albertus, as a parish proper, has been closed for a while. However, they still have Mass there about once a month and on special occasions. October is Polish American History Month. We were there last month for a Mass honoring a number of Polish dance groups. They have a small, strong contingent keeping up the parish buildings & grounds which allows them to have Mass on these occasions.

**Rosa** · December-13-09, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I believe St. Albertus is still open:
http://www.stalbertus.org/

I attended mass there a few years ago. The decor is wildly ornate and colorful, sort of like Sweetest Heart of Mary though not quite as grand. I highly recommend a visit.

**lizaanne** · March-15-10, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Rosa

I attended mass there a few years ago. The decor is wildly ornate and colorful, sort of like Sweetest Heart of Mary though not quite as grand. I highly recommend a visit.

Yes - there is Mass at St. Albertus twice a year a believe. It is a Traditional Latin Mass. I've wanted to go but it never fails that we have something going on and have to stay with our own parish, Assumption Grotto. Which is never ever a disappointment - Mass how Mass should be everywhere.

**kryptonite** · March-16-10, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by lizaanne

Yes - there is Mass at St. Albertus twice a year a believe. It is a Traditional Latin Mass. I've wanted to go but it never fails that we have something going on and have to stay with our own parish, Assumption Grotto. Which is never ever a disappointment - Mass how Mass should be everywhere.

St. Albertus used to have monthly mass in Polish. Plus a number of events throughout the year. I have volunteered for their cleanup days in the warm season several times. Here is their web page, http://www.stalbertus.org/ I just looked at the web site recently and they had a 'mass sehedule' link underneath FAQ's. But right now the link is not active.

Chuck_MI · November-25-09, 12:47 AM

There is also another cool old church in the Delray area, though I'm not sure it is abandoned. It sits at the corner of Edwin and Copland Streets, surrounded on three sides by Detroit Water and Sewage holding tanks.

**renf** · November-25-09, 08:32 AM

I think that you are mentioning St. John Cantius in southwest Detroit.
http://www.detroit1701.org/St.%20John%20Cantius.html

**stonechipped** · November-25-09, 08:44 AM

Let us pray, may the wrecking ball come sooner than later Amen

**EastsideAl** · November-25-09, 11:57 AM

King Solomon has quite a history it seems:
http://www.kingsolomonchurch.org/abo...ryofksmbc.html

I wonder about those beautiful buildings, including the "new" church, which appears to have been a church hall or movie theater at some point. Although I can't find it listed in any of my material on old Detroit theaters, the picture on the church's website appears to show it with a theater-like marquee at one time. As for the interesting old church itself, with its two flanking buildings, I wonder what it was built as? King Solomon has been there since 1955.

**agirlintheD** · November-25-09, 12:49 PM

You're right...it was St. John Cantius. We went there for mass until it closed in October, 2007. The bell tower was recently placed at St. Paul of Tarsus in Clinton Township.

stinkbug · November-25-09, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by agirlintheD

You're right...it was St. John Cantius. We went there for mass until it closed in October, 2007. The bell tower was recently placed at St. Paul of Tarsus in Clinton Township.

Really?! You mean this monstrosity?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/...9f200a210c.jpg
Ugly as sin.

versus this:
http://detroit1701.org/Graphics/St.JohnCantiusA.jpg

I'm ashamed of my fellow Catholics for abandoning the beautiful churches built by their ancestors which are of truly amazing and inspiring proportions...in favor of what are essentially strip malls in the exburbs. Oh well...closer to their subdivisions; further from black people.

**MikeM** · November-25-09, 09:17 PM

http://www.straubpettittyaste.com/St-Paul-Tarsus/index.htm

I love it even if it looks like a capsized ship. The old church has great craftsmanship but at the same time it looks dark, stale, old. People have always been on the move, building new churches where ever they go. They didn't abandon the church, the new residents just aren't Catholic enough to support it.

stinkbug · November-26-09, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by MikeM

http://www.straubpettittyaste.com/St-Paul-Tarsus/index.htm

I love it even if it looks like a capsized ship. The old church has great craftsmanship but at the same time it looks dark, stale, old. People have always been on the move, building new churches where ever they go. They didn't abandon the church, the new residents just aren't Catholic enough to support it.

Delray had 23,000 residents in 1930. It now has approximately 3,100. In your cheerful observation about "people on the move" you somehow overlook white flight. You seemingly imply that these old residents have simply been replaced by new ones, when they haven't. It has been an exodus. Not Catholic enough? The numbers speak for themselves. Unbelievable. Yeah, maybe it was just that St. John Cantius was too dark, stale, and old for Metro Detroit Catholics. Yeah, that must be it.

**MikeM** · November-26-09, 12:38 AM

OK, so they haven't been replaced by new residents [[I think everyone already knew that). Eighty percent of the population left. Remaining twenty percent probably not Catholic. Church closes. New church opens in suburbia. Life goes on. Church is the people, not the building. White flight sure; Catholic flight too. You expect people to stay just because they built a church in their neighborhood? I know the design of their church wasn't the reason for leaving, but it's not the reason for staying either.

**kathy2trips** · December-12-09, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by stinkbug

Really?! You mean this monstrosity?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/...9f200a210c.jpg
Ugly as sin.

versus this:
http://detroit1701.org/Graphics/St.JohnCantiusA.jpg

I'm ashamed of my fellow Catholics for abandoning the beautiful churches built by their ancestors which are of truly amazing and inspiring proportions...in favor of what are essentially strip malls in the exburbs. Oh well...closer to their subdivisions; further from black people.

Oh, thank you for that. All faiths are to blame, however. BTW: That church at Grand River and Vicksburg was Calgary Presbyterian Church. And a lot of black people have left Detroit as well. Black flight, perhaps?

I hate the abandonment what amounts to giant works of art, and the disrespect toward the poor, hard-working people who built them, as well as and those who donated part of their paychecks to craft monuments to God.

Look at the modest homes surrounding magnificent structures. How could these people afford that? If you folks of other faiths think the Pope just unloads a couple of DaVinci's and gives parishes the cash, you are way mistaken!

If you want to build a church now, you have to adhere to ceiling height restrictions and energy consumption regulations. But old churches are grandfathered in, and can even get help from the Church with "green" renovations. I guess they're trying to make urban pioneerism more attractive.

I know this because here in Houston we had to build a new co-cathedral [[there's one in Galveston, too) and our archbishop kept going to Rome, bugging JPII about all the restrictions. The cost: $49,000,000.

Old Houston Co-Cathedral [[1912) http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/B...-Cathedral.php
New Houston Co-Cathedral [[2008) http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/B...-Cathedral.php

What would it cost to replace King Solomon or St. Albertus today? Can we afford to lose them?

Thank you for the pictures, by the way.

**krapug1** · December-13-09, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by stinkbug

I'm ashamed of my fellow Catholics for abandoning the beautiful churches built by their ancestors which are of truly amazing and inspiring proportions...in favor of what are essentially strip malls in the exburbs. Oh well...closer to their subdivisions; further from black people.

You made an excellent point. Yes, one reason for abandoned churches is the population decline in Detroit city, BUT it was made worse by the fact
that the Roman Catholic Church in the USA has RARELY made itself welcoming to Afican Americans, and thus you have more empty Catholic Churches than needed to be. It is one of many, many, reasons that I am a PROUD
Ex-Catholic.

Ken

....and before any of you blindly, loyal Cathoilcs start any of your whining about it's open season on the Catholic Church. In our great nation every institution is subject to scutiny, the RC church is no different.