The Christ Church Chapel is a religious building located at 61 Grosse Pointe Blvd. in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. It is also known as the Christ Church Grosse Pointe or the Christ Episcopal Church. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1992 and 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 1993.

History

The Grosse Pointe Episcopal congregation began as a branch of

Christ Church Detroit Christ Church Detroit is an Episcopal church located at 960 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is also known as Old Christ Church, Detroit. It is the oldest Protestant church in Michigan still located on its original site.

in 1923, with Sunday school held in local homes while worship services were still conducted in the main church on Jefferson Avenue.Christ Church timeline
By 1928, work had begun on the construction of a building for the congregation. The building, completed in 1930, was initially referred to as a "chapel," because it was intended to be one element of a larger building.
from the state of Michigan, retrieved 1/5/10 Two more buildings were added to the complex over the next eleven years: the rectory in 1938 and Miller Hall in 1941. In 1947, the congregation was given the status of a full parish. An education building, designed by Minoru Yamasaki, was added in 1955. Further additions were made during the latter half of the century, and in 2000 the education building was torn down and replaced with a new education wing.Christ Church history
page 3

Description

The Neo-Gothic chapel is built in a

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

configuration with a tower at one corner. The

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

is designed to be similar to the Chapter House of Wells Cathedral, and the

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

(enclosed in 1957) is modeled after the one at

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

.Christ Church history
, page 1 The exterior of the chapel is covered with iridescent sandstone. The roof is covered with slate, with copper ridges and a copper spire. The church includes stained glass windows created by H. L. Willet, DeRaniere Studios of Detroit, and by the Detroit Stained Glass Company. The interior is constructed of limestone, with a flagstone floor. It boasts fine wood carvings, with the

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

crafted by London's Mowbray & Co., Ltd. and the

rood beam The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

and other pieces by J. Jungwirth Co. and Pom-McFate Co. of Detroit. Miller Hall and the rectory are built in a complementary Tudor Revival style.

References

External links

Christ Church Grosse Pointe
{{Religious landmarks in metropolitan Detroit Churches in Wayne County, Michigan Episcopal church buildings in Michigan Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Churches completed in 1930 Gothic Revival church buildings in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites Christian organizations established in 1923 National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan 1930 establishments in Michigan