St. John's Church

St. John's Parish, established on this site in December 1858, served what was then a rural area north of Detroit. Henry Porter Baldwin, a local merchant and future state senator, governor, and United States senator, donated the land, architectural plans, and a substantial portion of the construction costs for a church. Designed by architect Albert Jordan, it was dedicated on St. John's Day, December 27, 1859. The initial service drew more worshippers than the church could accommodate. Jordan and his partner, James Anderson, were then commissioned to design this Gothic Revival limestone building. It was completed in 1861. The original 1859 structure remained as St. John's Chapel. In 1892, The church chancel was enlarged. The 20,000-ton church and chapel were moved sixty feet to the east during the 1936 widening of Woodward Avenue.