Nestled among the trees in Hartwick Pines State Park near Grayling is this little chapel made of logs. It’s a short hike thru the old growth forests to get to the little church but it’s a beautiful walk and worth the trip to visit this quiet place in the woods.  If you have followed my website for any length of time you may have noticed I have posted several photos of churches over the years. Michigan has some spectacular historic churches with steeples that reach into the sky. Although this little chapel may not be a massive structure in the heart of a large Michigan city I think it’s one of my favorite churches I have visited.

Inside the church is a sign on the altar with Nature’s Prayer written on it and reads:

Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all that is nature,
We humbly come to you in the midst of nature’s splendor,
To thank you that as Americans we are free
To worship as we please, work as we please,
And move about as we please to enjoy all that is nature:
Its mountains, its hills, its valleys, its lakes,
Its streams, and the living things that dwell therein;
We pray unto You that someday the world may be at peace
And all men be free to enjoy nature’s abundance.
We ask you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
That we be guided to protect this priceless heritage
Which we, in America, are privileged to enjoy. Amen.

P.S. Facebook comments seem to be working again. ( it was something wrong with Facebook but I think they have it fixed, at least I hope so )

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I saw a steeple rising above the town of Gaylord, ( one of my favorite places to stop on a trip up I-75) and I had to see what the old church looked like then I found out it is now the Mount Carmel Centre used as a performing arts center. There is a historical marker standing out front that reads:

St. Mary’s Church began as a mission of the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. The first church was built around 1884. The parish grew to become a predominantly Polish congregation while under the pastorate of Father Casmir Skory (1892 – 1905). In 1893 Father Skory founded the St. Mary’s School, which was served by the Dominican Sisters. Father Skory was instrumental in the planning and construction of this church in 1900.

The Neo-Gothic St. Mary’s Catholic Church has been a Gaylord landmark since it was dedicated on September 15, 1900. When the Diocese of Gaylord was established in 1972, the church became the cathedral. The diocese built a new cathedral in 1976 and closed St. Mary’s. In 1985 a local group, fearing the building would be razed, purchased it for use as a performing arts center, which they named the Mount Carmel Centre.

I see a lot of old churches in Michigan, and I see some that are no longer used for worship or have been left abandoned. I love old churches because of the grand architecture that was built with pride by the community they served. You know the saying “they don’t build them like that anymore” it’s probably because they are difficult and expensive to build. They also require a lot of maintenance and are not energy efficient. Although they are beautiful, it’s hard to find a use for an old church when it is no longer needed that’s why I am fascinated when I see a church that has found a new purpose.

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This old stone church sits between Alpena and Oscoda on Michigan’s east side. The first church built by the Presbyterians was built in Alcona in 1880 but moved to where the stone church now stands in 1886. In June of 1924, the original church was destroyed by fire when that was ignited from the sparks from the fire of a nearby farmhouse. The church was rebuilt by volunteers using stones from surrounding farm fields and opened for worship in 1936.

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I saw this beautiful stone church in the southern Michigan town of Hudson. It is the First United Methodist Church. I don’t have a story to go with it, I just thought it was a beautiful looking church in the warm summer sunshine. I hope your summer is going well and thank you so much for taking the time to look at my posts. I hope you enjoy seeing some of my photos from around the Great Lakes State.

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This beautiful brick and stone church overlooks Lake St. Clair in Gross Point Shores. A historical marker stands nearby giving a little history of this beautiful building. By the 1790s, French priests were ministering to farmers living along the lake. In 1825, Father Francis Badin dedicated a log church to St. Paul near the Lake in present-day Grosse Pointe Shores. In 1850 a frame chapel was erected on the current site. Built in the 1890s, during Father John Eisen’s pastorate, the present French Gothic-inspired church was designed by Detroit architect Harry J. Rill. The first mass held in the church was Father Eisen’s funeral in 1899.  

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I have visited Petoskey several times in half-century that I have lived in Michigan. I never knew this old mission church and burial ground was near downtown on Little Traverse Bay. A historical marker stands next to the church and reads:

St. Francis Solanus Indian Mission: This land was sold by Amawee, an Odawa, to Jean Baptiste Trotochaud and his Ojibwa wife Sophia Anaquet. Later, they donated nearly an acre of land to the Catholic Church. Jean, under the guidance of Father Sifferath, built this Mission in 1859. In 1860, Bishop Frederic Baraga blessed and dedicated it for use by Natives and settlers. Mass was offered at least four times a year. The mission was restored in 1884, after the arrival of Father Pius Niermann, an Assistant Priest with the Franciscan Fathers. It was abandoned by 1896 and restored again in 1931, 1959 and from 2005 to 2008. The church and burial grounds are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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This beautiful and historic stone church sits on Mackinac Island not far from the Grand Hotel. the historical marker next to it reads:

The Union Congregational Church, affectionately called Little Stone Church, was established in 1900 by eleven charter members. Local residents and summer visitors donated funds for its construction. The cornerstone was laid on August 2, 1904. This structure was built of Mackinac Island stones in an eclectic Gothic style. Its handsome stained glass windows, installed in 1914, tell the story of the Protestant movement on the Island. Open only during the summer, this church has been a landmark to visitors and a popular wedding site.

since it was open to visitors it got a chance to get some photos of the beautiful stained glass while I was there.

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This beautiful brick church stands among other historic buildings in the West Michigan town of Hart. The Sackrider Church was built in 1897 in Elbridge Township.  In 1988 it faced the wrecking ball so a group of citizens had moved it to its current location in Hart. Since then several other buildings have been moved to the historic district.

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