Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Detroit, Mich.)

Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, originally St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

From the description of Cathedral Church of St. Paul records, 1824-1995. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 85778100

St. Paul's parish was founded in 1824 in what was then the Territory of Michigan. Services were originally held in the Indian Council House on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street. The first church building, consecrated in 1828, was on Woodward Avenue, in the block of Congress and Larned. The church moved in 1851 to the corner of Congress at Shelby, just west of downtown.

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul at the corner of Woodward and Hancock was designed by Ralph Adams Cram (1863-1942) and construction began in 1908 and was completed in 1911. He chose to design the Cathedral in the 14th century English Style of Gothic architecture. The massive pillars which support the roof are more typical of Norman architecture, which preceded Gothic. The Cathedral is build according to medieval construction techniques with no steel superstructure. The Cathedral Church of St. Paul is an important landmark in Detroit and exemplary of the city's exceptional architectural heritage.

As the oldest Episcopal church in Michigan, St. Paul's has been instrumental both in the establishment of other Episcopal parishes, but also in the formation of the Diocese of Michigan, organized in 1832. Long before its official designation in 1906, St. Paul's has served as the "Cathedral Church." In 1958, the church changed its name from St. Paul's Cathedral to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul.

From the guide to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Detroit, Mich.) Records, 1824-2002, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)