St. Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church (Detroit, Mich.)

St. Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church grew from very humble beginnings. Started as an Episcopalian Sunday School, the first meeting was held in the front room of a cottage on Merrick Avenue on April 5, 1885. An evening prayer service was held the following month under the direction of Reverend Rufus W. Clark. Services were led by lay readers when it was not possible to obtain the services of a clergyman.

By January 1886, a building had been finished on the corner of Fourth and Putnam The opening service, held on January 17th, was led by Bishop Samuel S. Harris and Ex-Governor Henry P. Baldwin was a guest speaker. In May of that year, Reverend A.A.W. Hastings was installed as permanent rector and served until 1891.

The congregation of the church had begun to grow over the years and it was necessary to have a new building. Designed by neo-gothic architect Ralph Adams Cram, the new church was completed in 1902, and was designated as a memorial to Bishop Harris who had been a patron of the church since its inception. The services in this new building were well attended and the church became known for its Good Friday services.

In 1906, disaster struck on Tuesday during Holy Week. A fire, probably caused by faulty wiring, destroyed the church. During the three years it took to rebuild the church, services were held in the West Side Club on Fourth and Putnam. There was a significant decline in the congregation after the fire and it was several years before the numbers were restored.

During the 1950s, many changes in the surrounding neighborhood affected the church. Houses were torn down, the freeway was built, and Wayne State University expanded. The congregation of St. Andrew's migrated to the suburbs and membership declined from 147 pledging families in 1949 to 87 families in 1961. The 1960s saw great changes for the church. The congregation was still shifting with many old members leaving and new members coming in. In 1962, Wayne State University made an agreement with St. Andrew's whereby the school would lease the sanctuary for use as a chapel for the next 99 years. This was done as a part of the university's student religious center project.

In the 1990s, St. Andrew's played a dual role, serving both the university and the surrounding neighborhoods. St. Andrew's has always been community minded and has offered programs for the community outside of church services. Most recent of these is the "Sunday's at St. Andrew's", a concert series designed to highlight local artists.

From the guide to the St. Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church, Detroit, Mich., Records, 1886-1988, 1944-1969, (Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan)