Historic Trinity Lutheran Church
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Complex | |
42°20′34″N 83°2′23″W / 42.34278°N 83.03972°W / 42.34278; -83.03972 | |
Built | 1927 |
---|---|
Architect | Bernard C. Wetzel, W. E. N. Hunter |
Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival[2] |
NRHP reference No. | 83000897[1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | February 10, 1983 |
Designated MSHS | April 24, 1981[3] |
The Historic Trinity Lutheran Church is a church located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It occupies the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church complex, located at 1345 Gratiot Avenue. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1] Its current pastor is Rev. Darryl L. Andrzejewski.[4][5][3]
History
The Trinity congregation was formed in 1850, when members of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, a German-speaking congregation, broke from the main body following the excommunication of another member.[6] Services were first held in the chapel of Christ Episcopal Church, located at the corner of Jefferson and Hastings.[6] Soon, the congregation bought the chapel of the Western Seaman's Friend Society of Woodbridge Street, and moved it to Rivard and Larned. This building quickly proved too small, so the congregation built a new brick church at Gratiot and Rivard in 1866.[6] This area, surrounding Eastern Market, was at the time home to a large German population and a natural fit for Trinity.[6]
Around this time, many schools, missions, and other congregations were begun by Trinity throughout the region. In total, 132 Lutheran parishes in south-east Michigan can be traced to Trinity.[6]
In 1905, the congregation built a new school and social hall near the church. However, the community around Trinity soon changed as families left the downtown area, and the flow of new German immigrants stopped.[6] Trinity began offering English services in addition to those in German.[7]
In the late 1920s, Trinity began considering renovation of its 1866 structure.[7] However, congregant Charles Gauss stepped forward and offered to finance the building of a new church.[6] The old church was demolished, and the cornerstone of the current church was laid in 1929 with the dedication held on February 15, 1931.[8]
After World War II, the population of downtown Detroit began moving in droves to the suburbs, and many Detroit churches, including Trinity, lost membership. However, then-pastor Gilbert Theodore Otte remained firm in keeping the church in the downtown area.[6]
The city of Detroit recognized the 1931 church structure for its historical significance in 1979, as did the state of Michigan in 1982. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[8][7]
Membership, however, declined, with only 112 church members in 1981.[8] In 1983, Rev. David Eberhard became pastor, a post he would hold until 2015, and instituted additional programs that tripled membership in five years.[4][8] The church continues to be a gathering place for Detroit Lutherans, with over 2100 members in 2012.[9] The parish operates under the Historic Trinity name and is a member of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.[10]
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ Hill, Eric J.; Gallagher, John (2003). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0814331200.
trinity lutheran.
- ^ a b "Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Complex". Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on 2012-05-17. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
- ^ a b "Rev. Dr. David Eberhard 1934-2016". Historic Trinity Lutheran Church. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ^ "Who We Are". Historic Trinity Lutheran Church. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Our History". HistoricTrinity.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ a b c "Trinity Lutheran Church Historic District" (PDF). City of Detroit Planning and Development Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ a b c d "Historic Trinity Historical Timeline". HistoricTrinity.org. 2010. Archived from the original on 2017-06-17. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Warikoo, Niraj (April 8, 2012). "Detroit's historic churches still thriving, helping city". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ "Welcome to Historic Trinity". HistoricTrinity.org. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
External links
- Historic Trinity Lutheran Church parish website
- v
- t
- e
along Woodward Ave.
(address #)
- St. John's Episcopal Church (2326)
- Woodward Avenue Baptist Church (demolished)
- First Unitarian Church (2870)
- First Presbyterian Church (2930)
- Temple Beth-El (3424)
- Cathedral Church of St. Paul (4800)
- Our Lady of the Rosary (5930)
- Metropolitan United Methodist Church (8000)
- First Baptist Church (8501)
- Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church (8501)
- North Woodward Congregational Church (8715)
- Temple Beth-El (8801)
- Saint Joseph's Temple Baptist Church / King Solomon Baptist ChurchEpiscopal Church (8830)
- Central Woodward Christian Church (9000)
- Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament (9844)
- Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (12375)
- Trinity United Methodist Church (13100)
- First United Methodist Church (16300)
- Central United Methodist Church (23 East Adams)
- First Congregational Church (33 Forest)
- Highland Park Presbyterian Church (14 Cortland)
- Mariners' Church (170 East Jefferson)
(also Hamtramck)
- Al-Islah Mosque (Hamtramck)
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church
- Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
- Chapel of St. Theresa-the Little Flower
- Christ Church Detroit
- Fort Street Presbyterian Church
- Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Historic Trinity Lutheran Church
- Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church
- Most Holy Redeemer Church
- Sacred Heart Chaldean Church
- Sacred Heart Major Seminary
- Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Convent and Rectory
- St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church
- St. Aloysius
- Saint Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church
- Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church
- St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church (demolished)
- St. Bonaventure Monastery
- St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church
- St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church
- St. Florian Church (Hamtramck)
- St. James Episcopal (Grosse Ile)
- St. John's-St. Luke's Evangelical
- St. Josaphat's
- St. Joseph Catholic Church
- St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
- Saints Peter and Paul Church
- Saints Peter and Paul Academy
- St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church
- St. Theresa of Avila Roman Catholic Church
- St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church (demolished)
- Second Baptist Church
- Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church
- Temple Baptist Church – King Solomon Baptist Church
- Trinity Episcopal Church
- Trumbull Avenue Presbyterian Church
- Tushiyah United Hebrew School – Scott Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church
- Christ Church Chapel (Grosse Pointe)
- Christ Church Cranbrook (Bloomfield Hills)
- Dearborn Mosque
- Detroit Temple, Church of the Latter Day Saints (Bloomfield Hills)
- Duns Scotus College (Southfield)
- Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Grosse Pointe)
- Islamic Center of America (Dearborn)
- First Albanian Bektashi Tekke in America (Taylor)
- Kirk in the Hills (Bloomfield Hills)
- Mother of God Cathedral (Southfield)
- National Shrine of the Little Flower (Royal Oak)
- Nardin Park United Methodist Church (Farmington Hills)
- Piety Hill Historic District (Lapeer)
- St. Hugo in the Hills Catholic Church (Bloomfield Hills)
- St. Mary Church (Monroe)
- Saint Paul Catholic Church (Grosse Pointe Farms)
- Congregation Shaarey Zedek (Southfield)
- Temple Beth El (Bloomfield Hills)