Kirk in the Hills

Last updated
Kirk in the Hills KirkInTheHills.jpg
Kirk in the Hills

Kirk in the Hills [1] Presbyterian (1958) is a church located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.

Contents

Overview

Kirk in the Hills is situated on a 40-acre setting on Island Lake. It is of Gothic design and is patterned after the famous Melrose Abbey in Scotland that was built in the 13th century.

The sanctuary is situated at the east end of Cedarholm, which was the home of Colonel Edwin S. George, whose gift of his home and estate in 1947 made the Kirk possible. As early as 1933 he saw the need for a church in this area and established the George Foundation for that purpose. The congregation was organized by the Presbytery of Detroit in 1947, and the first services were held that year in Cedarholm Chapel. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1951, the same year Colonel George died. His remains are entombed under the Narthex of the Kirk's sanctuary.

The architectural firm of George D. Mason completed the church based on preliminary designs by Wirt Rowland. [2] Rowland, who worked for Mason at the beginning of his career, died in 1946 during the design process. Services were held in the Undercroft beginning in 1952 and continued during the construction of the church until a disastrous fire destroyed most of the roof. The Church held its first services in the sanctuary on November 23, 1958. Kirk in the Hills is modeled after Scotland's Melrose Abbey. Set on 40 acres (160,000 m2) of beautifully landscaped lakeside grounds, Kirk in the Hills constitutes a fine example of Gothic architecture in the United States. Kirk is the Scottish word for Church.

Tower and carillon

The church includes the Tower of the Apostles. The tower, which houses the world's largest carillon in the number of bells contained, was installed in 1960.[ citation needed ] The Bells were donated by the Roy A. Fruehauf family and the five largest bells are named after the members of the Fruehauf Family: Roy, Ruth, Royce, Randall, and Ruth Ann. Previously Mr. Fruehauf had donated the Organ to the Church after the fire. Mr. Fruehauf was instrumental in the building of the church and made a generous donation just before his death in 1965. The 77-bells range from a 6'10" 6-short ton bourdon to the smallest at 6" 14-pounds.

Sculpture

The church contains sculpture by some of the leading architectural sculptors of the day, Lee Lawrie, Corrado Parducci, and John Angel and Italian stone carver Harry Liva of Ingalls Stone Company in Bedford, IN, who worked in Indiana Oolitic limestone. The interior also contains ceramic tile by Pewabic Pottery. The gardens contain sculpture by Marshall Fredericks.

See also

Notes

  1. Kirk: Scots for "Church."
  2. Smith, Michael G. (2001). Designing Detroit - Wirt Rowland and the Rise of Modern American Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN   978-0-8143-3979-4.

Related Research Articles

Wirt C. Rowland American architect

Wirt Clinton Rowland was an American architect best known for his work in Detroit, Michigan.

Guardian Building United States historic place

The Guardian Building is a landmark skyscraper in the United States, located at 500 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Financial District. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves as its headquarters. Built in 1928 and finished in 1929, the building was originally called the Union Trust Building and is a bold example of Art Deco architecture, including art moderne designs. At the top of the Guardian Building's spire is a large U.S. flag, complementing the four smaller flags atop nearby 150 West Jefferson. The building has undergone recent award-winning renovations. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 29, 1989, and the associated Detroit Financial District is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Guardian building includes retail and a tourist gift shop.

Penobscot Building

The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a class-A office tower in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The 1928 Art Deco building is located in the heart of the Detroit Financial District. The Penobscot is a hub for the city's wireless Internet zone and fiber-optic network.

Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Detroit) United States historic place

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. In 1824 its congregation formed as the first Episcopal and first Protestant church in Michigan Territory.

Mariners Church United States historic place

Mariners' Church of Detroit is a church with worship services adhering to Anglican liturgical traditions located at 170 East Jefferson Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was founded in 1842 as a special mission to the maritime travelers of the Great Lakes and functioned as a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan until 1992, when the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled it was incorporated as an independent congregation. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The church is now part of the REC Diocese of Mid-America within the Anglican Church in North America.

Buhl Building Building in Detroit

The Buhl Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Architect Wirt C. Rowland designed the Buhl in a Neo-Gothic style with Romanesque accents. Constructed in 1925, it stands at 26 stories in the Detroit Financial District across Congress Street from the Penobscot Building and across Griswold Street from the Guardian Building, all of which were designed by Wirt C. Rowland. The Buhl Building stands on the corner of Congress St. West, and Griswold St. in Downtown Detroit. The building stands atop what used to be the Savoyard Creek near its confluence with the Detroit River. In 1836, the creek was covered and turned into a sewer. The Savoyard Club occupied the 27th floor of the Buhl Building from 1928 until its membership dwindled and the club closed in 1994. Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation has its headquarters in the building.

Cadillac Tower

The Cadillac Tower is a 40-story, 133.4 m (438 ft) Neo-Gothic skyscraper designed by the architectural firm of Bonnah & Chaffee at 65 Cadillac Square in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, not far from the Renaissance Center. The building's materials include terra cotta and brick. It was built in 1927 as Barlum Tower. At the top of the tower is a tall guyed mast for local radio stations WMXD, WLLZ and television station WLPC-CD. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

AT&T Michigan Headquarters Headquarters of American company AT&T in Detroit, USA

The AT&T Michigan Headquarters is a complex of skyscrapers and buildings located at 1st Street, Cass Avenue, State Street, and Michigan Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It contains the AT&T Building, the AT&T Building addition, the Maintenance Shop and is owned by communications giant AT&T.

Wayne County Building United States historic place

The Wayne County Building is a monumental government structure located at 600 Randolph Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It formerly contained the Wayne County administrative offices – now located in the Guardian Building at 500 Griswold Street – and its courthouse. As Wayne County Courthouse, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. When it was completed in 1902, it was regarded as "one of the most sumptuous buildings in Michigan".

Detroit Masonic Temple

The Detroit Masonic Temple is the world's largest Masonic Temple. Located in the Cass Corridor of Detroit, Michigan, at 500 Temple Street, the building serves as a home to various masonic organizations including the York Rite Sovereign College of North America. The building contains a variety of public spaces including three theaters, three ballrooms and banquet halls, and a 160 by 100 feet clear-span drill hall.

Architecture of metropolitan Detroit

The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-modern neogothic spires of One Detroit Center refer to designs of the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, they form the city's distinctive skyline.

Detroit City Apartments

Detroit City Apartments is a high-rise in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1981 and named Trolley Plaza for nearby Washington Boulevard trolley line, the residential building stands 28 stories tall. The building is located at 1431 Washington Boulevard and occupies the block bordered by Clifford Street, Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard. In 2009, Village Green purchased the building and changed the name of the high-rise apartments to Washington Square. In 2013, Washington Square became the Detroit City Apartments.

Bankers Trust Company Building, Detroit United States historic place

The Bankers Trust Company Building is an office building located at 205 West Congress Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Financial District. Designed by Wirt C. Rowland of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and completed in 1925, the ornately modeled building is an exquisite example of Italian Romanesque Revival architecture.

First Baptist Church (Detroit, Michigan) United States historic place

The former First Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church building located at 8601 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1909, it was designed by architect Guy J. Vinton in the Late Gothic Revival style. It is now the Peoples Community Church. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 3, 1982.

Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church United States historic place

The Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church is a church located at 8501 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1911 in the Gothic Revival style, the architect was Sidney Badgley. It was used for some time as the Abyssinia Church of God in Christ. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

The Ecumenical Theological Seminary is a Christian theological institution in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1980 as the Ecumenical Theological Center, the seminary offers graduate degrees and certificates in religious studies. It is housed in a building built in 1889 to house the First Presbyterian Church; the seminary began leasing the building in 1992 and was donated the building, lands, and endowment in 2002.

Detroit Financial District United States historic place

The Detroit Financial District is a United States historic district in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 2009, and was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of December 24, 2009.

Grosse Pointe Memorial Church United States historic place

The Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (GPMC) is a church located at 16 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, 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 in 1993.

Malcomson and Higginbotham was an architectural firm started in the nineteenth century and based in Detroit, Michigan. A successor firm, Malcomson-Greimel and Associates, still exists in Rochester, Michigan as of 2010.

George D. Mason American architect

George DeWitt Mason was an American architect who practiced in Detroit, Michigan in the latter part of the 19th and early decades of the 20th centuries.

References

Further reading

Coordinates: 42°34′53″N83°17′41″W / 42.5814°N 83.2947°W / 42.5814; -83.2947