Saint Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church is a historic church located in

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 ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. As of 2008, it is used by

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...

and referred to as St. Andrew's Hall. The church was 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 1986.

History

St. Andrew's parish, founded in 1885,St. Andrew’s Memorial Episcopal Church
(St. Andrew’s Hall) from Detroit1701.org was one of the earliest religious institutions established in what is now the University–Cultural Center section of Detroit. By January 1886, the parish had constructed a church at the corner of fourth and Putnam. In the early 1890s, plans for the present church were drawn up in by the Boston-based architectural firm of Cram, Wentworth & Goodhue.Saint Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church
from the state of Michigan There was some delay in construction, but the church was completed in 1902. In 1906, the church burned due to an electrical fire; it was repaired six years later, although the reconstruction did not restore the original design and has been criticized as architecturally disfiguring.Eric J. Hill, John Gallagher, American Institute of Architects Detroit Chapter
''AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture,'' Wayne State University Press, 2002, It served the Episcopalian parish for a number of years until, after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the surrounding population began an exodus to the suburbs. In 1961, the diocese leased the building to

for 99 years. The University uses it as a student chapel and a concert hall.

Description

St. Andrew's displays the straight, vertical and horizontal lines characteristic of

Ralph Adams Cram Ralph Adams Cram (December 16, 1863 – September 22, 1942) was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic Revival style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partn ...

's work. The exterior is constructed of Bedford limestone, with Berea sandstone trimmings and minimal decorative stonework. Rows of massive columns grace the nave, and an enormous window is inset behind the altar.

References

{{University–Cultural Center Multiple Resource Area Churches in Detroit Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Churches completed in 1894 19th-century Episcopal church buildings Gothic Revival church buildings in Michigan Wayne State University Religious organizations established in 1885 Episcopal church buildings in Michigan 1885 establishments in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Detroit