The Historic Unitarian Church on Woodward Destroyed by Fire

**Danny** · May-10-14, 06:01 AM

The Historic Unitarian Church on Woodward Ave. and Edmund St is on Fire. Who could do such a thing to that beautiful pink sandstone building?

Image from Detroitubex Facebook page

**masterblaster** · May-10-14, 06:05 AM

Yeah, I saw the flames from near Cass Tech about 30 minutes ago. Is this the church building that was vacant, stripped, and deteriorated, or the one next to it?

**hastings paradise** · May-10-14, 08:31 AM

Dang. That's not just a fire bug, someone wanted that gone.

**jcole** · May-10-14, 09:19 AM

It's not the pink one that's on fire; it's the brown one on the other side of Edmund Place. The pink one is the Presbyterian Church; the other one to the south is the Unitarian church that is abandoned.

**animatedmartian** · May-10-14, 10:01 AM

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...9112636&type=3

Here are the pictures via Detroiturbex. The church is a complete loss. I don't understand why the owner couldn't just sell it.

**Django** · May-10-14, 10:07 AM

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**WaCoTS** · May-10-14, 10:14 AM

according to this guy the original Tiffany-style windows of the church are on display in the DIA

**WaCoTS** · May-10-14, 10:11 AM

its a national historic landmark...i say it should be preserved in-situ kind of like they do in Europe with old bombed-out churches. stabilize the outer walls and let it be a monument.

that'll fix the jackass owner's wagon. [[if indeed he was the one who arsonated it to get rid of it, as has been suggested)

**Khartoum** · May-10-14, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by WaCoTS

its a national historic landmark...i say it should be preserved in-situ kind of like they do in Europe with old bombed-out churches. stabilize the outer walls and let it be a monument.

A nice idea but you can't have the 2016-17 Red Wings fans suffering from burning, bloody, fiery eyes at the sight of such an eyesore [[as they'll bemoan).

**WaCoTS** · May-10-14, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Khartoum

A nice idea but you can't have the 2016-17 Red Wings fans suffering from burning, bloody, fiery eyes at the sight of such an eyesore [[as they'll bemoan).

ok, so put a sign out front that says it is the ruins of the historic old Olympia Stadium that was bombed by the Nazis in WWII. 60% of them would never know the difference, and will be taking selfies in front of it in no time.

**KJ5** · May-10-14, 11:27 AM

Guess they need more parking for that fancy new arena they're getting such a sweetheart deal on. What a shame!

**Király** · May-10-14, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by WaCoTS

its a national historic landmark...i say it should be preserved in-situ kind of like they do in Europe with old bombed-out churches.

Too late for that. I heard that all the outer walls have now collapsed and the church is a pile of rubble.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · May-10-14, 10:19 AM

This really disturbs my Unitarian Universalist heart.

**Király** · May-10-14, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

This really disturbs my Unitarian Universalist heart.

Mine too. This church was top of my list of places to see when I was in Detroit for a weekend on 2014.

**Hermod** · May-11-14, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

This really disturbs my Unitarian Universalist heart.

Well, it was abandoned by the Unitarians. If it was important to the denomination, they should have kept it fixed up and occupied.

**EastsideAl** · May-11-14, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Well, it was abandoned by the Unitarians. If it was important to the denomination, they should have kept it fixed up and occupied.

To be fair, the church was abandoned by one of the successor congregations to the Unitarians.

The Unitarians left the building in 1934 when the city's widening of Woodward Ave. forced them to move. The widening cut off the front of the church and diminished its capacity, as the area behind the front facade had to be cut out and the facade moved back over 100 ft. So, they moved in with the Universalist Church of Our Father at Cass and Prentis [[built 1916, also designed by Donaldson & Meier) and soon thereafter the two congregations merged as First Unitarian-Universalist [[their national churches united in 1951). My parents were married in that church while students at Wayne. The congregation remains there today.

The church on Woodward was sold to the Church of Christ in 1937. The Church of Christ remained there until 1984. The building went through a number of congregations [[Cathedral of Praise Baptist, the Church in the City) before it was finally abandoned by the Resurrection Praise Church in the early 2000s.

**SDCC** · May-11-14, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

To be fair, the church was abandoned by one of the successor congregations to the Unitarians.

The Unitarians left the building in 1934 when the city's widening of Woodward Ave. forced them to move. The widening cut off the front of the church and diminished its capacity, as the area behind the front facade had to be cut out and the facade moved back over 100 ft. So, they moved in with the Universalist Church of Our Father at Cass and Prentis [[built 1916) and soon thereafter the two congregations merged as First Unitarian-Universalist [[their national churches united in 1951). My parents were married in that church while students at Wayne. The congregation remains there today.

The church on Woodward was sold to the Church of Christ in 1937. The Church of Christ remained there until 1984. The building went through a number of congregations [[Cathedral of Praise Baptist, the Church in the City) before it was finally abandoned by the Resurrection Praise Church in the early 2000s.

Interesting history

**SaintMe** · May-10-14, 10:28 AM

I hate this city

**Scottathew** · May-10-14, 11:27 AM

What's wrong with suburban Red Wings fans! They don't want to be in a shelled out, burnt down, tagged up neighborhood?

If someone wants to de-blight a Detroit neighborhood they must be an elitist exo-burbanite!

**KJ5** · May-10-14, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by 48307

What's wrong with suburban Red Wings fans! They don't want to be in a shelled out, burnt down, tagged up neighborhood?

If someone wants to de-blight a Detroit neighborhood they must be an elitist exo-burbanite!

There was no graffiti on that church and it seemed to be structurally sound. I wonder who would profit from such a heinous act? Hmmm....

**antongast** · May-10-14, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by 48307

What's wrong with suburban Red Wings fans! They don't want to be in a shelled out, burnt down, tagged up neighborhood?

If someone wants to de-blight a Detroit neighborhood they must be an elitist exo-burbanite!

If they don't want to be here, then they should go somewhere else. I have it on good authority that the suburbs contain establishments known as "sports bars" in which televised sporting events can be viewed in a pleasantly blight-free environment.

This would allow me to enjoy my shelled out burnt down tagged up neighborhood in peace without a bunch of drunken fuckheads tromping through it.

**EASTSIDE CAT 67-83** · May-10-14, 11:33 AM

What a shame, how old was the church?

**Danny** · May-10-14, 11:40 AM

The historic church is long gone. Let the demolition begin.

**emu steve** · May-10-14, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

The historic church is long gone. Let the demolition begin.

Sad loss. That church had architecture.

This might sound paradoxical, but the development of the new arena actually would have been a reason for that historic church to be saved and redeveloped [[had today's fire not happened).

Without development across the street, i.e., the arena, there would be no development in the area and hasn't been and the church would have continued to degrade.

Once development begins structures will be evaluated. Some will be lost, e.g., Temple Hotel, but some will be saved.

Leaving structures unoccupied and not maintained for decades is not a historic preservation strategy.

Something needs to be done to stop the decline.

**Bham1982** · May-10-14, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

This might sound paradoxical, but the development of the new arena actually would have been a reason for that historic church to be saved and redeveloped [[had today's fire not happened).

Because we all know hockey fans love attending Unitarian Services prior to/following hockey games. That's why the JLA area is flooded with Unitarian churchgoers.