Abandoned churches of Detroit

[DetroitZack]

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]

Praise the Lord...and Pass the Demolition.

[EastsideAl]

Where is this church?

[stasu1213]

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]

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

[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.

[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.

[Chuck_MI]

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]

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

[stonechipped]

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

[EastsideAl]

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.

[EastsideAl]

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]

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

[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.

[jackie5275]

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.

[Trumpeteer]

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.

[stinkbug]

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]

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.

[Jimaz]

This thread is Hall of Fame material. Last [[final) hope abandoned. When, oh when, will it stop its ugly decline?

[terryh]

I took some pics of King Solomon about two years? ago. I thought it was open at the time...kind of dark -dreary building. Wouldn't mind taking at peek at the inside. Was aware that Malcom X spoke there.

[stinkbug]

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]

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.

[stasu1213]

I know a church that was built in the 1800s that is still operating. It's name is St John-St Luke and it is on Gratiot and Russell. It is behind the candle and insense store on Russell the south side of Gratiot. It is a very old building where the parishoners hold service once a week on Sunday at 10:30am. It is a sight to behold if anyone cares to go inside to look

[reddog289]

Not really a church goer myself, I look back at my parents churches, Gethseneme Lutheran. Temple Baptist, and St. Leo's. only the latter is there as it was. As a Gen X'r I realize that the church I was raised in will be something diferent when I am older or gone.
I marvel at those churches that keep going and am saddened by the ones left behind.

[JLeurck]

I admit, on the outside St Paul of Tarsus seems to have more in common with a zeppelin hangar than say, Ste Anne-de-Detroit, but I do like how the interior is laid out with the parish halved and seated amphitheatre-style on either side of a centerline that includes the ambo, baptismal font and altar. My local parish church here is like that and everyone can see what is going on, and see the faces of at least half of their fellow parishioners. That beats looking at the back of the head of the person in front you. I think some of the new ecclesiastical architectural innovations are actually bona-fide improvements.

That said, I love the look of the big, traditional cruciform churches like the former [[and sadly abandoned) St. Agnes/Martyrs of Uganda on 12th and Bethune.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanm/2801649835/

Man, looking on Google maps, it is hard to believe how some of these parishs manage to remain open, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Archdiocese announces another wave of closings/clusterings. It is sad, but like someone earlier in the thread said, the church is the people, and the people have left.