I see several old historic churches in Michigan and some of them are made with fieldstone. The church in Olivet really surprised me with the huge rocks used to construct the church. If you look at the front door you can get an idea of how large the boulders were used in the construction. If you have ever tried to move or lift a rock that large you know how heavy they are. It is impressive that they were able to lift them that high without modern hydraulic equipment.
The historical marker next to the old church gives a little bit of history of the old building. It reads:
The First Congregational Church grew out of the evangelical movement that swept the country during the early nineteenth century. The congregation and its anti-slavery and temperance societies were organized in 1845. Temperance activities continued into the 1930s. Dedicated in 1894, this is the third building used for worship. In 1968 the church became the Olivet Congregational Church, United Church of Christ.
When this church was dedicated on June 20, 1894, the Olivet Optic called it a monument to the “self-denial, self sacrifice and loyalty to the cause of religion” shown by the citizens of Olivet. Milwaukee architect Henry F. Starbuck designed the Ionia sandstone, Richardsonian Romanesque Church. The 3,000-pound bell was cast in Baltimore and George Androvette of Chicago provided the stained glass windows.
Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead. If you want to read more about Olivet check out this post by clicking HERE
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