Category Archives: Churches

The Church in Arcadia

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Churches .

arcadia church

This historic white church stands in the western Michigan town of Arcadia. The historic town is south of Frankfort and was originally named Starkeville after Henry Starke. The post office changed the name of the town to Arcadia which is the name of the township that it is in.

This beautiful historic church stands near the center of town. A Michigan historical marker gives a little bit of history and reads:

In 1880 many Germans left Milwaukee and settled in Manistee County. Among them was lumberman Henry Starke, who vowed to return to Wisconsin if no Lutheran church could be found. Instead, he helped to organize this congregation in 1881, and he platted Arcadia the same year. In 1887 Starke donated land and money for this Neo-Gothic church, completed in 1888. The complex grew to include a parsonage, a school, and a teacherage.

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Michigan’s Log Cabin Church

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Churches .

The small town of Bitely is in the Manistee National Forest somewhere between White Cloud and Baldwin. This beautiful log cabin church stands near the heart of town. I am not sure how many log cabin churches are in Michigan or even the United States but I like this one in Bitely.

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The Old Church in Berville

Posted on by Posted in Churches, small towns .

This old church stands in the small town of Berville at the base of the Thumb. I don’t have a story to go with it but I thought it was a pretty little church on an Autumn day. Thank you for taking the time to look at my posts and I hope you have a wonderful week.

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Almont Society of the New Church

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Churches .

This beautiful white chapel stands in a quiet part of the state east of Almont. A historical marker stands in front of it giving some history to this historic little church.

Scottish immigrants from Glascow settled in Berlin Township in 1841. Ten years later, twenty-four of them founded the Almont Society of the New Church. They followed the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 – 1772), a Swedish mathematician, philosopher and scientist whose Christian theological writings form the basis of the New Church. In 1875 members donated labor, materials, and money to build this chapel, designed by church member William Morton.

The chapel is now part of The Almont New Church Assembly and Retreat Center.

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A Michigan Ghost Town Church

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Churches, Ghost towns .

This old church stands quietly in the town of Harlan located in northern Michigan east of Copemish. In the 1880s the railroad was originally going to go through the nearby town of Cleon. Because of the steep grades and sharp curves they decided to run through the town of Harlan instead. It gave the town a boost in population. Having several stores a blacksmith shop and a hotel, the town prospered until the railroad no longer stopped in the little town.  By the 1950s most of the businesses had closed. Not much remains in Harlan but this old church and a few houses.

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A Big Church in a Small Irish Town

Posted on by Posted in Churches .

After the 1836 Treaty of Washington opened up the land for Europeans, Irish immigrants settled the area north of Grand Rapids. By 1844, it is estimated that 20-30 Irish families were settled in the area now known as Parnell. The town was named after Irish political leader Charles Stewart Parnell. The community came together to worship with a priest sent from Grand Rapids, most frequently in the home of Michael Farrell. By the end of the 1840s, planning for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church had begun. The original church was replaced by two other churches that burned down. The current structure and fourth church to be given the name Saint Patrick’s was built in 1878. It was renovated in the 1990s and still stands proudly over the farm fields surrounding Parnell.

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Springfield Chapel

Posted on by Posted in Churches .

I saw this little chapel a few miles southeast of Fife Lake. I could not find any info about this small church other than the sign on the front that reads. Springfield Chapel 1900-2007.

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The Stone Chapel in Clinton’s Cemetery

Posted on by Posted in Cemetery, Churches .

This beautiful little stone chapel stands among the headstones in Riverside Cemetery in the southern Michigan town of Clinton. The historical marker next to the chapel tells a little bit of its history and reads:

This chapel, completed in 1913, embodies the dream of Cemetery Superintendent George Kies, the design of Clinton-born architect Wirt Rowland and the artistry of the mason, a “Mr. Uhr” of Manchester. It also reflects livestock dealer Solomon Tate’s sense of color and design. Tate chose the stones, donated by local farmers. The Clinton Culture Club, later the Federated Women’s Club, led the chapel building effort.

Early in his long career in Detroit, Clinton native Wirt C. Rowland designed this chapel, which reflects medieval inspiration. Wirt Rowland (1878 – 1946) worked for George D. Mason, Albert Kahn, and other leading Detroit architects. He is best known for designing three Detroit skyscrapers, the Buhl Building, the Penobscot Building, and the Guardian Building during the 1920s, while employed by Smith Hinchman & Grylls. These buildings defined the Detroit skyline for almost fifty years

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Church of Our Savior, Friend of Children

Posted on by Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

This little wooden church stands on the northern side of Sugar Island. It was built for Bishop Frederic Baraga by Michael Payment in 1856. In 1845, Payment moved to Sugar Island and established a small settlement, known at the time as “Payment’s Landing” or “Payment Settlement.” Bishop Baraga was a frequent visitor to the settlement, and after purchasing lumber he asked payment to construct the church. It was used continuously until 1953 when it was closed. In 1982 it was reopened and used for annual masses to celebrate Bishop Baraga’s Birthday.  The church is currently called Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church but it was originally called Church of Our Savior, Friend of Children.

You can find out more about Sugar Island HERE

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St. Wenceslaus Church

Posted on by Posted in Churches .

The historic St. Wenceslaus Church stands quietly among the orchards in the Leelanau Peninsula. The historical marker next to it shares some history and reads:

In the 1860s and 1870s settlers from Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia) came to this area and worked at the Leland Lake Superior Iron Foundry and the Gill sawmill. Catholics attended mass at the Holy Trinity Church in Leland until the church burned in 1880. In 1890 the first St. Wenceslaus Church was built and the cemetery was established. Ornate metal grave markers reflect the Bohemian heritage, as do the names Bourda, Houdek, Hula, Jelinek, Kalchick, Kirt, Kolarik, Korson, Kovarik, Maresh, Novotny, Reicha and Sedlacek, which appear in the cemetery. The church membership doubled by 1908. In 1914 volunteers hauled bricks and other materials to this site and built the present church. This Late Gothic Revival church was completed during that year.

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