The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (GPMC) is a church located at 16 Lake Shore Drive in

Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan Grosse Pointe Farms is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 census. As part of the Grosse Pointe collection of cities, it is a northeastern city of Metro Detroit and shares a small wester ...

, USA. it is a member of the Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA). It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1990 and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1993.

History

During the 18th and early 19th centuries, the area that is now the

Grosse Pointe Grosse Pointe is a group of five adjacent suburbs in the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area on the shore of Lake St. Clair. From southwest to northeast, they are: *Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, Grosse Pointe Park *Grosse Pointe, Michiga ...

s was largely

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. By the mid-19th century, though, the area was being used more heavily as a summer resort for residents of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, and enough

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

had moved into the area to warrant their own church. In 1865, a group of Grosse Pointe residents founded the non-denominational Grosse Pointe Protestant Evangelical Church; two years later, the group built a church at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Kerby on land donated by Rufus Kerby. In 1894, Joseph H. Berry donated land near his home, which encompassed the site of the present church. A second building, known as the "ivy covered church", was built on the site. In 1920, the congregation reorganized as a Presbyterian church.

Truman Handy Newberry Truman Handy Newberry (November 5, 1864 – October 3, 1945) was an American businessman and political figure. He served as the Secretary of Navy between 1908 and 1909. He was a Republican U.S. Senator from Michigan between 1919 and 1922. B ...

and his brother John donated nearly $300,000 to the congregation for a new church building, as a memorial to their parents

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and Helen. The congregation hired the architect W. E. N. Hunter to design the current building, which consists of the church itself and four additional units, constructed between 1923 and 1927. In 1925, the church changed its name to "The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church", reflecting the Newberry's gift. The new sanctuary, built on the site of the ivy-covered church, was dedicated to the original founders of the congregation on May 15, 1927. An educational wing was added to the structure in 1962. The additional space housed the Barbour Chapel, Fitt Library, Fellowship Hall, and more Christian Education facilities. The church building was listed on the

in 1993. In 1997, the church undertook a major renovation project, which included adding a lakeside entry and reception area and enlarging the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

Today

Pastor and staff

Today, Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is led by Head of Staff, Jeff Lincicome, Associate Pastor, Heather Thum-Gerber, and the Minister of Music & Organist is Logan Hamilton . The Church employs approximately 25 staff, both full and part-time.

Capital campaign

In 2014, GPMC undertook a capital campaign for various renovations around the church, as well as starting new projects. Examples include: * Stained glass windows (Remove, repair, reinforce, reinstall) * Carillon (repair steel frame that holds bells, rewire connections to console, recast, rehang existing bells, add new and final bell (the largest)) * Outreach: Habitat for Humanity (3 habitat houses in 3 years) * Columbarium (expand capacity by approx 250 niches) * Sanctuary upgrades (wiring for lights, boiler) * Crib and toddler wing (update and renovate, make more secure and welcoming) * Fellowship Hall and Youth Recreation Space * Capital endowment funds

"Back 40" and Trinity Terrace renovations

The outdoor space behind the church on Lake Saint Clair is used as a worship space during the summer months. When the capital campaign was completed, it was expanded and renovated to create a flatter space. A playground was also installed, the garden was put in, and a shed was constructed. The "Back 40" was renamed Trinity Terrace. The expansion and renovation was mainly financed by the Kaiser family with the help of the Gallagher-Kaiser company.

Architecture

The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church is a

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

structure built of

ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

limestone trimmed with smooth sandstone and a slate roof. The structure is asymmetrically massed, with a cross-gable roof and bell tower. The front facade of the church is topped with a front gable. Each side elevation has four bays with pairs of stained-glass clerestory windows; the bays are separated by piers. The central nave is laid out in the form of a Latin cross with a vaulted ceiling. Aisles on each side are separated from the nave by masonry pillars, with the clerestory windows above. On each side of the church, three-story cross-gabled units present arched entryways and flat-topped diamond-pane windows. The church contains carvings by the German sculptor

Alois Lang Alois Lang (1872–1954) was a Master Woodcarver at the American Seating Company, and one of the artists responsible for bringing the medieval art of ecclesiastical carving to life in the United States. Lang was born in Oberammergau in Bavaria, a ...

and stained glass windows designed by the Willet Studios.

References

External links

*
Presbyterian Church USA website
{{Authority control Churches in Wayne County, Michigan Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Churches completed in 1867 Presbyterian churches in Michigan Gothic Revival church buildings in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan