Churches Archives - Lost In Michigan

The Sackrider Church

Posted on July 25, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

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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The Pioneer Church in Da Upper Peninsula

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

This cute little log cabin church sits in the heart of the Upper Peninsula in what remains of the small town of Mansfield not far from Crystal Falls. Built in the late 1800s it was the only church in Mansfield. It was maintained by a Lutheran Congregation but used by other faiths. As the town’s population dwindled the church was used as a shingle mill and later fell into ruin.

In 1987 the Mansfield Memories Committee restored the old church and is known as the Mansfield Pioneer Church. It welcomes guests that visit the historic area and is used for special occasions.

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St. Joseph’s Church

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

This beautiful stone church stands along US-12 near Brooklyn. A historical marker stands next to it and reads:

St. Joseph’s Church originated as a missionary church during the 1850s. Priests from Adrian, Clinton, Manchester, Tecumseh and Monroe served the parish until the first resident priest arrived in 1954. The original church, which is still part of the present structure, was constructed by Irish pioneers. In 1863 the first Mass was held in the church, The tower and stained-glass windows were added in 1911. In 1928, Father Joseph Pfeffer from St. Mary’s in Manchester served here and oversaw the enlargement and remodeling of the church to its present form. The transept was built and nave enlarged, transforming the church to a cruciform plan. The red tile roof, the tower and the use of mosaic, tile and wrought iron in the interior give the church its Spanish Mission flavor.

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Chapel Of The Two Heart

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

Near the mouth of the Two Hearted River in the Upper Peninsula is this log cabin chapel. the first chapel was built in the summer of 2006, by Richard and Kathy Robinson and family, along with the help of volunteers. Unfortunately, the Chapel burned down in the Duck Lake Fire and a new one was constructed in 2013.

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The Most Beautiful Cemetery in Michigan

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Churches .

Rows of simple wooden crosses mark the Odawa Indians laid to rest in the Middle Village Cemetery next to the historic Saint Ignatius Catholic Church. The cemetery and church are near Good Hart on M119, between Harbor Springs and Cross Village. The village is along the ” Tunnel of Trees” route that follows the shoreline of Lake Michigan. I am not sure if there is an official ranking of cemeteries, but what I do know, is it sure was a beautiful place when I visited it.

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Bethel Church

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

This beautiful stone church stands among the farmland between Manchester and Ann Arbor. The historical marker in front of it tells an amazing story and reads:

In 1840 the Reverend Friedrich Schmid of Ann Arbor organized the Evangelical German Bethel Congregation in Freedom Township. Schmid, a missionary pastor originally from Basel, Switzerland, frequently traveled to the township and held services in the Kuebler District School, one mile east of here. In 1849 Johannes and Louis Strieter deeded one acre of land to the congregation. Church members built a log church on the lot where they worshipped until 1857 when a frame building replaced it. That church stood just west of here. The church served until 1909 when the present structure was dedicated. Services were conducted only in German until 1926 when English was introduced into the Sunday school. German services officially ended in 1955. Today Bethel Church is a member of the United Church of Christ.

This Gothic Revival-style church, designed and built by Charles A. Sauer and Company of Ann Arbor, was dedicated on December 18, 1909. The Manchester Enterprise boasted that it was “one of the most complete church edifices in the state.” Earlier that year the congregation had agreed to build a new church of native granite. The church was constructed of fieldstone gathered by local farmers and then shaped, given a rock-face finish and laid by the masons in random ashlar form. The square belfry contains a two thousand-pound bell from the previous church, made by the Buckeye Bell Foundry in Cincinnati, Ohio. The stained glass windows were made by the Detroit Stained Glass Company. In 1965 the education wing was constructed.

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Our Lady Of The Woods Shrine

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

The Our Lady of the Woods Shrine at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Mio was constructed by Rev. Hubert Rakowski between 1953 and 1955 with the support of the local community. The sacred place has statues of four apparitions of Mary, They are the Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, and LaSalette.

The mountainous structure made of stone includes several grottos and niches. The grounds are open year round and the landscaping in the summer is breathtaking. The shrine welcomes visitors of all faiths and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend stopping to see this beautiful place in northern Michigan.

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The Empty Church

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

I saw this empty old church standing in the farmland west of Hastings. I am sure it has been a long time since this wooden chapel has had an Easter service or any services. I can only imagine all the weddings, baptisms, and funerals this old church has seen.

Please note, I only take pics from the road and do not trespass.

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The Oldest Church in Michigan

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Detroit .

I like posting photos of churches around Michigan since in many places churches are central to the community, it’s where people are married, baptized, and remembered at the end of their life. When I posted a photo of St. Stephens church in Hamburg the historical Marker said it was the oldest church building still operating in Michigan. But it got me to do some research to find out what the oldest church in Michigan is. When I found Ste Anne de D’etroit and read it’s history it struck me how important this church is, not only to the local community, but to the state of Michigan.

founded July 26, 1701, Ste. Anne’s original church was the first building constructed in Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which later grew into the city of Detroit. Ste Anne’s is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States with parish records dating back to 1704. From 1833 to 1844, Ste. Anne’s was the Cathedral Church for the diocese of Michigan and the Northwest. The church also has the oldest stained glass in Detroit.

In the Early 1800s Father Gabriel Richards, started a school that evolved into the University of Michigan. Started the First newspaper The Michigan Essay or Impartial Observer. From 1823 to 1825 Richard was Michigan Territory’s delegate to the United States Congress. As a delegate, he was instrumental in gaining support for the Territorial Road, which linked Detroit and Chicago

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Zeba and the Old Wooden Church

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

Northeast of L’Anse in the Upper Peninsula is the small town of Zeba. I am not sure if it is correct but I read that the word “zeba” is Native American for “little river” In the town of Zeba, or more like what is left of the town of Zeba, is an old wooden church. The historical marker in front of it tells some of its history and reads:

Early Methodist missionaries came to Kewawenon from Sault Sainte Marie by canoe, often a two-week trip. Among then was John Sunday, a Chippewa, who arrived in 1832 to educate and Christianize his fellow Indians. John Clark came two years later and erected a school and mission house. By 1845 this mission consisted of a farm and a church with fifty-eight Indian and four white members. A second church, erected in 1850, was dedicated by John H. Pitezel, who served here from 1844 to 1847.
photo of Zeba Indian United Methodist Church

Indians from far and near came here to attend the annual camp meetings which began in 1880. The present frame church, known now as the Zeba Indian Mission Church, was erected in 1888. Completely covered with hand-made wooden shingles, this structure has changed little since its construction. The Methodist minister of L’Anse serves the congregation. The Zeba Indian United Methodist Church, the successor of the 1932 Kewawenon mission is an area landmark.

I passed by the old church on my way to the Ford ghost town of Pequaming which you can read about in Volume 3 of the Lost In Michigan books available HERE

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