| Saints Peter and Paul Church | |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Michigan State Historic Site | |
 Church in 2008 | |
| Location | 629 East Jefferson Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°19′55″N 83°2′18″W / 42.33194°N 83.03833°W / 42.33194; -83.03833 |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architect | Francis Letouneau, Peter Kindenkins |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000431 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 03, 1971 |
| Designated MSHS | January 22, 1971 |
Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church is a Roman Catholic church located at 629 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest existing church in the city of Detroit, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971.
History
In 1844, Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere, who served as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Detroit, began construction on Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral; the cornerstone is dated June 29, 1844. Francis Letourneau drew the plans and Peter Kindenkens supervised the construction. Construction was completed over four years, as the bishop paid for each stage of construction with cash. The church was consecrated on June 29, 1848 as the cathedral church of the diocese. The original parishioners were predominantly Irish, with some French families attending.
Following Lefevere's death, under Caspar Borgess, the second Bishop of Detroit, the church remained the cathedral until 1877, when he gave the title to the building to the Jesuit Order with the intention of starting Detroit's first Catholic college. The church then became SS. Peter & Paul Jesuit Church. The Jesuit college eventually became the University of Detroit-Mercy, and UDM's law school still occupies the building adjacent to the church.
The church was altered in 1879 and 1882, completely renovated in 1892, and remodeled again in 1911. A chapel was added to the rear of the building in 1918. Although these alterations changed the look of the church, the original plan has been substantially preserved. The church is still in use, offering Sunday and some weekday masses.
Description
Saints Peter and Paul Church is a three-aisled church, built of Detroit common brick. The front façade is gabled and topped by a short square belfry. The tower was originally intended to support a tall spire, which was never built. There is a central entrance pavilion, set between arched windows and Ionic pilasters. The pilasters continue along the side, separating the side elevation into seven bays with tall, rounded arch windows. A heavy frieze surmounts the walls.
The interior of the church features hand-carved oak confessionals, a barrel vaulted ceiling painted with murals of the apostles, and an extraordinary Carrara marble altar designed by Gustav Adolph Mueller and featuring a bas relief of the crucifixion by Joseph Sibbel. These details were added during later renovations; the organ case is the only surviving original element.
Gallery
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Original planned appearance.
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The church in 1934
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Side elevation of the church, 2007
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ "Saints Peter and Paul Church". Michigan State Housing Development Authority. January 22, 1971. Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "History". Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Saints Peter and Paul Church" (PDF). City of Detroit Planning and Development Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church". Detroit1701.org. December 2012. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ Hill, Eric J.; Gallagher, John; American Institute of Architects Detroit Chapter (2002). AIA Detroit: the American Institute of Architects guide to Detroit architecture. Wayne State University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-8143-3120-0.
External links
| Religious landmarks in metropolitan Detroit | ||
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| This includes houses of worship, but does not include schools. | ||
| Religious landmarks along Woodward Ave. (address #) |
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| City (also Hamtramck) |
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| Suburban |
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| See also: Architecture of metropolitan Detroit | ||
| National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan | ||
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| Historic districts |
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| Historic properties |
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| National Historic Landmarks |
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| Former listings | ||
| See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan and List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan | ||
- Roman Catholic churches in Detroit
- Irish-American culture in Michigan
- Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
- Roman Catholic churches completed in 1848
- 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
- Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
- Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan
- National Register of Historic Places in Detroit
- Roman Catholic cathedrals in Michigan
- Romanesque Revival architecture in Michigan
- 1848 establishments in Michigan
- Society of Jesus in Michigan