Here stands The Cathedral Church of Saint Paul. Founded in 1824, the parish of St. Paul marks itself as the first Episcopal and Protestant congregation in the Michigan Territory.
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul’s story began well before Michigan even became a state. Imagine Detroit in its early days. It was long before the automobile industry took hold. Episcopalians were relative latecomers to the city. Detroit had already existed for well over a century. The French founded it in 1701.
Antoine de la Mothe de Cadillac founded the Catholic parish of Ste. Anne’s. It happened on the second day of French settlement. Ste. Anne’s is still very active in southwest Detroit. It is the second-oldest continuously functioning parish in the United States.
Episcopalians arrived when Detroit fell under British control. Missionaries and immigrants from English-speaking countries first brought Anglicanism to Detroit. The need arose for a parish to serve this community. The Rev. Richard Pollard first answered the call. He crossed the Detroit River in a canoe to minister to Anglicans. They are now Episcopalians. The Rev. Richard Cadle followed him. In 1824, he became the rector of the newly formed St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
The original site of St. Paul’s was on Woodward Avenue. It was between Congress and Larned. Today, One Detroit Center stands there. By 1851, the church moved to its second site. It was at the corner of Congress and Shelby.
St. Paul’s played a key role in organizing the Diocese of Michigan in 1832. Parishioners founded Christ Episcopal Church in 1846. Other parishioners founded St. John’s Episcopal Church in 1859.
Ralph Adams Cram designed The Cathedral Church of St. Paul. He was a leading exponent of the Gothic Revival style. Cram designed the cathedral in the 14th-century English Gothic style. This style features soaring arches and stained glass.
The cathedral is built entirely of limestone. It uses medieval construction techniques. There is no steel superstructure in the building. Its enormous weight is self-supported.
Cram designed the building to express humankind’s relationship with God. The cathedral is intentionally dim. It suggests the mystery of the Divine.
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul is one of Cram’s best works. It remained one of his personal favorites. The Cathedral Church of St. Paul is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The funeral service for Henry Ford was held here. The entrepreneur died in April 1947. Thousands mourned his death. They stood outside The Cathedral Church of St. Paul in the rain.