Dearborn in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Saint Alphonsus Parish / Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church Complex
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 16, 2015
1. Saint Alphonsus Parish Marker
Attracted by fertile farmland, some forty German-speaking families from Rhineland-Westphalia settled in this area between 1825 and 1848. The community celebrated its first Catholic Mass in the home of Peter and Catharina Theisen Esper in 1851. The Espers donated four acres of land on the northeast corner of Warren and Schaefer Avenues for the construction of a school, built in 1846, the first church, built in 1852; and a cemetery, founded in 1849. Father Anthony Buechsenmann, who served from 1897 to 1920, kept detailed records of the births, marriages and deaths of some two hundred families. He delivered his sermons in German until World War I.
On May 18, 1930, Saint Alphonsus Parish dedicated its third church, built to accommodate the growing membership. Architect Arthur Des Rosiers, designed the church, as well as the 1924 convent, in the Neo-Gothic style. The church features magnificent windows from the Detroit Stained Glass Works, paintings by Alfred Wrobbel, and a marble and onyx main altar. The cemetery, established in 1876, contains over 250 graves. Many burials, the oldest one dating from 1849, were relocated from the old cemetery at the corner of Warren Avenue and Shaefer Road.
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1967.
Location. 42° 20.759′ N, 83° 10.583′ W. Marker is in Dearborn, Michigan, in Wayne County. Marker is at the intersection of Gould Street and Schaefer Road, on the left when traveling east on Gould Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7455 Calhoun Avenue, Dearborn MI 48126, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Wyoming Avenue (approx. one mile away); Fordson High School (approx. 1.1 miles away); Dedicated to Christopher Columbus (approx. 1˝ miles away); Henry Ford Birthplace (approx. 1˝ miles away); Dearborn City Hall (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Schaefer Building (approx. 1.7 miles away); Dearborn Town Hall Complex / Orville L. Hubbard (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Neighborhood (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dearborn.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 16, 2015
2. Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church Complex Marker
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 16, 2015
3. Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church and Marker
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 16, 2015
4. Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church and Cemetery
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 16, 2015
5. Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church
Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 16, 2015, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 862 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 16, 2015, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
