The Cass Community United Methodist Church is located at 3901 Cass Avenue in
Midtown Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. It was built in 1883 as the Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1982,
and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1985.
History
The Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1880.
[Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church](_blank)
from the city of Detroit In 1883, the congregation hired architectural firm Mason & Rice to design a church at the corner of Cass and Selden.
In 1891,
Malcomson and Higginbotham 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.
History
Architects William G. ...
designed an addition on the eastern side, which is now the main portion of the church.
Early in the life of the church, the congregation was well-to-do.
[Cass Community Social Services](_blank)
history page In the 1920s, however, the membership declined as congregants moved from the area and the character of the neighborhood changed. However, the church decided to remain in the neighborhood and minister to and with the new residents. The church is still operating as a United Methodist congregation, with services that change to meet the needs of the neighborhood.
Architecture
The church is a
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque ...
structure, constructed in the form of a Greek Cross.
[Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church](_blank)
from Woodward Avenue The church is built from rock faced Grafton stone, trimmed with Ionia sandstone.
At the corner is a square tower, 86 feet high; the green ceramic tile roof is original.
On the interior,
Tiffany grace the windows; a Johnson - Tracker church organ is installed, which is thought to be the largest 19th-century pipe organ in Michigan.
A state of Michigan historical maker marks this church.
See also
*
Cass Community Social Services
Cass Community Social Services, Inc. (CCSS or Cass) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) community-based organization headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, serving Southeastern Michigan, Wayne County, under the direction of a volunteer Board of Directors. Cass ...
References
External links
Cass Community Social Services
{{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
Churches in Detroit
Churches completed in 1883
19th-century Methodist church buildings in the United States
Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan
Historic district contributing properties in Michigan
United Methodist churches in Michigan
Religious organizations established in 1880
1880 establishments in Michigan
Methodist Episcopal churches in the United States