National Register of Historic Places

North Woodward Congregational Church

Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Listed
August 2, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82002905

About this property

The St. John's Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a church located in Detroit, Michigan. It was built as the North Woodward Congregational Church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1998. The North Woodward Congregational Church was built in stages, with a small chapel, designed by the firm of Malcomson and Higginbotham, on the site of the present church constructed as early as 1907. The construction of the main sanctuary began in 1911 and was completed in 1912. Sections were added, with the most recent, the church house, being added in 1929. By the 1950s, the congregation had substantially moved out of Detroit, and the building was sold to the St. John's Christian Methodist Episcopal Church congregation. This congregation had been organized on July 8, 1917, as St. John's Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. A State of Michigan historical marker commemorates this church. The official denominational name was changed from "Colored" to "Christian" in 1954. St. John's Christian Methodist Episcopal Church was the first C.M.E. church established in the state of Michigan and, as of 2009, it remains the largest and most recognized Christian Methodist congregation in the state. The Reverend Dr. Joseph B. Gordon, a native Detroiter, was appointed as pastor in 2008. In August 2014, Rev. Dr. Claude Bass became the church's pastor. In August 2018, Rev. A Richard Doss became the church's pastor. The architect retained by the Congregationalists was Hugh Clement. He designed a Gothic red brick church with limestone trim, having Prairie and Arts & Crafts influences. The building is lower than many Gothic churches, as it lacks a bell tower or lantern. The historical site also includes nine associated row houses along Gladstone Avenue. St. Johns Detroit, Third District Methodist church Archived March 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

Location

8715 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
42.37976, -83.08015

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

First Baptist Church of Detroit
Industrial
0.1 mi
Temple Beth-El
Industrial
0.1 mi
St. Joseph's Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Woodward Ave. Presbyterian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Central Woodward Christian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Bloody Run (Pontiac's War)
1763Colonial
1.8 mi
Battle of Bloody Run (Pontiac's War, 1763)
1763Colonial
2.6 mi
Pontiac's War – Battle of Bloody Run July 31 1763
1763Colonial
2.6 mi
Pontiac's War — Battle of Bloody Run
1763Colonial
3.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was North Woodward Congregational Church listed on the National Register?

North Woodward Congregational Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 2, 1982.

What type of historic resource is North Woodward Congregational Church?

North Woodward Congregational Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for North Woodward Congregational Church?

The period of significance for North Woodward Congregational Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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