First Congregational Church of Detroit

In 1801 David Bacon and his wife Alice made the first attempt to establish Congregationalism in Detroit. Sent by a Connecticut Congregational society, the Bacons failed in their efforts to build a mission. It was not until 1844 that the First Congregational Society was formed in Detroit. The society erected a building which it soon outgrew. A second structure was dedicated in 1854. The third and present church known as the “Church of the Seven Arches” was completed in 1891. Designed by John L. Faxon, it has Byzantine and Romanesque features. The tower of the church is crowned by a statue of the Angel Uriel. Both the exterior and interior of this church are rich in the colors and symbolism of the Christian religion.