Saint Elizabeth's Church (Tecumseh, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
Saint Elizabeth's Church, also known as the Old Stone Church, is a historic church located at 302 East Chicago Boulevard (M-50
) in downtown Tecumseh
in Lenawee County
, Michigan
. It was designated as a Michigan Historic Site
on May 8, 1986 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places
on August 13, 1986.
Saint Elizabeth's Church is a small Gothic Revival
church located one block east of the Tecumseh Downtown Historic District
and across East Chicago Boulevard from the Dr. Samuel Catlin House
. The building housed the first Catholic church built in the Protestant
dominated Tecumseh. Amid controversy, the Catholic church was built in 1913. When church membership outgrew the original structure, the congregation moved to a new facility in 1952. The Church of Christ purchased the building in 1954 but vacated by 1972 to a larger facility themselves. From 1976–1982, the building served a commercial function as a stained glass
studio. In 1982, the city of Tecumseh purchased and restored the building for the Historical Society of Tecumseh. The building was formally dedicated as the Tecumseh Area Historical Museum in 1986 and continues to serve that purpose.
M-50 (Michigan highway)
M-50 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. Although designated as an east–west highway, it is nearly a diagonal northwest-southeast route...
) in downtown Tecumseh
Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated where M-50 crosses the River Raisin, a few miles east of M-52. Tecumseh is about SW of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor and north of Toledo, OH....
in Lenawee County
Lenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It was designated as a Michigan Historic Site
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is in charge of the listing of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of Michigan, including buildings, lighthouses, bridges, historic districts, and many other properties deemed important to the history of Michigan...
on May 8, 1986 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on August 13, 1986.
Saint Elizabeth's Church is a small Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
church located one block east of the Tecumseh Downtown Historic District
Tecumseh Downtown Historic District
The Tecumseh Downtown Historic District is a historic district comprising the downtown commercial area of the city of Tecumseh in Lenawee County, Michigan...
and across East Chicago Boulevard from the Dr. Samuel Catlin House
Dr. Samuel Catlin House
The Dr. Samuel Catlin House is a former residence located at 213 East Chicago Boulevard in downtown Tecumseh in Lenawee County, Michigan. It was listed as a Michigan State Historic Site and added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1986...
. The building housed the first Catholic church built in the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
dominated Tecumseh. Amid controversy, the Catholic church was built in 1913. When church membership outgrew the original structure, the congregation moved to a new facility in 1952. The Church of Christ purchased the building in 1954 but vacated by 1972 to a larger facility themselves. From 1976–1982, the building served a commercial function as a stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
studio. In 1982, the city of Tecumseh purchased and restored the building for the Historical Society of Tecumseh. The building was formally dedicated as the Tecumseh Area Historical Museum in 1986 and continues to serve that purpose.