“To Be Centre of Community – Dedication of Church to Serve Protestant Section [Sect] of Detroit” in The Chronicle Telegraph (February 19th, 1920)

Today’s article, published in Windsor’s The Chronicle Telegraph, focuses on the dedication of St. Mark’s Community Church in Detroit, a church “of and for the people.” Boasting a revolving electric cross on its roof, and eventually attracting a congregation of over 3,000 people weekly, we might think of St. Mark’s, located at the intersection of Jefferson and Garland, as an early precursor of today’s megachurch. With a stunning riverfront view, a game room, an auditorium, a roof garden, and even a bowling alley, the church put community and fellowship at the center of their ministry, a space importantly dedicated to “all, irrespective of creed.” Protestantism and its various denominations (Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, etc.) remained the most represented religion in Detroit at this time, but immigration and migration—due to employment opportunities at Ford—created an even richer constellation of faith in the region that included Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism. While St. Mark’s closed in 1972, the building still stands today.

Learn more about the history of St. Mark’s here, in a fascinating piece by Dan Austin at HistoricDetroit.org.

Transcript:

Detroit, Mich., Feb 13. – St. Mark’s Community Church, following its dedication Sunday by Bishop T. S. Henderson of Michigan Methodist Episcopal diocese, was thrown open to the public yesterday. As its name implies, the new edifice is intended to be a church of and for the people, ministering to their well being in both a spiritual and material sense. 

Situated at Jefferson and Garneld [sic], recte “Garland,” avenue, the new building possesses many interesting and unique features, including a roof garden of generous size overlooking Water Works Park and on which are located tennis courts and a large promenade. 

Four Stories and Roof Garden

Following the destruction by fire of the old Burns Methodist Church Bishop Henderson conceived the plan for the more modern edifice, to serve the entire Protestant section of the community. The building is {} 150 feet with four full stories besides the roof garden. The auditorium is square, finished in oak, with galleries on three sides and a seating capacity of fifteen hundred. It will be possible to throw all the Sunday School rooms on one floor, open to the auditorium, giving a total seating capacity of more than 2,500. There are five separate Sunday Schools of different grades, each with its own individual assembly and class rooms.

The commodious rooms for social purposes include a gymnastic 60 feet wide and 75 feet in length with a gallery for spectators and moving picture arrangements. There is also a quiet game room for billiards, chess, and similar activities, a bowling room with two alleys and a scout room for the boy and girl scouts.

Outstanding Features

The second, third and fourth floors are devoted to Sunday school rooms and church offices, together with social rooms for both sexes. A feature of the second floor is a dining room specially planned for the use of church women serving the larger suppers. 

The roof garden is easily the outstanding feature of the building. It overlooks the Detroit River, and on a clear day Lake St. Clair, is plainly visible. Here wil [sic], recte “will,” be located the tennis court with a splendid promenade around three sides.

“This building we hope to make the center of social and religious life of the community,” said Rev. W. H. McLeathen, the pastor, whose untiring labor has been largely responsible for the completion of the project.

“The men and women associated with me in control of St. Mark’s are behind me, when I say that this is to be a community church, and although our work has been done under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal denomination, we want our building to be used by all, irrespective of creed.”

Original Article:

Citations:

“To Be Centre of Community.” The Chronicle Telegraph, 19 Feb. 1920, https://news.ourontario.ca/3540599/data. Ontario Community Newspapers Portal, Accessed 31 January 2025.