Mariners’ Church of Detroit restores iconic spires 152 years after they were destroyed

Founded in 1842 by Julia Anderson, Mariners’ Church of Detroit is just five years younger than the state of Michigan.

Anderson willed property at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Woodbridge Street for the church, which would become a nondenominational, independent parish with a focus on providing a free place of worship for sailors.

“We are blessed to have such an incredible and truly historic building for our congregation, and believe it’s our responsibility to preserve what’s been passed on to us and make it better for future generations," said Stephen Trudeau, a trustee of the Mariners’ Church of Detroit Foundation and chair of its Preservation and Restoration Committee. "The church truly belongs to the city as it continues to serve as a house of prayer for all people.”

The Gothic Revival stone structure was constructed in 1849, and all throughout the church there are paintings, photographs and stained-glass windows depicting mariners and symbols of the Great Lakes.

In addition to the maritime symbolism, the building originally featured four large spires rising from each corner of the church. On December 24, 1871, two of the spires were destroyed by gale-force storm winds. The structure was repaired, but the spires were not rebuilt. In 1955, Detroit's plans to build a new civic center, Cobo Hall, required the church to be demolished. Instead, the massive 3,000-ton building was moved to its current location at 170 E. Jefferson Ave. According to the Detroit Historical Society, it was during the move that workers discovered a tunnel under the building from the time it served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Eight years ago, a revitalization effort began. Plans to add lighting and landscaping, and modernize the signage, were among the items on the list. One of the most ambitious projects to come out of the effort was to rebuild and replace the original spires. Mariners’ Church enlisted the expertise of Prop Art Studio to recreate the beautiful spires which once stood on the building. “We believe these spires are an important symbol of Mariners’ ongoing service and commitment to the city of Detroit and our congregations," Trudeau said.

The renovation process began with the team poring over old photographs and artwork to be sure they could recreate the intricate detail of the original structures. Along the way, artists and church leaders discovered a unique detail atop the spires they once thought were crosses. Upon closer inspection, they discovered the decorative accents were fleur-de-lis, not crosses. The researchers believe this was a nod to Detroit’s French influences.

Then the artisans at Prop Art Studio went to work. The new spires were built on iron frames — each weighs about 900 pounds — then covered in a material that has the look of aged copper. Once the artistic details were added, along with the fleur-de-lis, they were trucked to the site for installation. Preparations for the new spires included reinforcing each of the four stanchions that would support the spires with 5 feet of concrete to create a solid foundation for each spire. Each foundation contains a large plate with 12 bolts, representing the 12 apostles, to secure the structure. A crane lifted each spire into place while crews secured them to their new foundations on the stanchions.

“I’ve been through all of the stages, and from the sketches to see the renovations that they've done on this place, it has been a labor of love," said Charlotte McKenzie, Mariners' Church parish administrator.

“It feels great it is so exciting after two years having it done,” Trudeau said. “It was great to restore something that was originally done in the 1800s and bring it back. And in our small way, I think it improved the skyline of Detroit.”

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mariners’ Church of Detroit restores iconic spires