Poletown East in Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
St. Hyacinth Catholic Church
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, May 5, 2021
1. St. Hyacinth Catholic Church Marker
Inscription.
St. Hyacinth Catholic Church. . The first Polish immigrants came to Detroit during the 1840s. In 1872, 70 Polish families lived in the city. By 1907 when St. Hyacinth Church was founded, Detroit Poles numbered over 60,000 and the majority lived in this vicinity, known as Poletown. The first mass was held in a frame house on Theodore Street. A combined school and church was built at the corner of Frederick and McDougall Streets in 1908. There, Felician nuns taught school in both English and Polish. On May 25, 1924, parishioners dedicated this Romanesque and Byzantine style church, designed by Detroit architects Donaldson and Meier. St. Hyacinth’s pastor, Bishop Stefan Woznicki, founded the Liga Katolicka, a national agency to support the Catholic Church in Poland, in 1945.
The first Polish immigrants came to Detroit during the 1840s. In 1872, 70 Polish families lived in the city. By 1907 when St. Hyacinth Church was founded, Detroit Poles numbered over 60,000 and the majority lived in this vicinity, known as Poletown. The first mass was held in a frame house on Theodore Street. A combined school and church was built at the corner of Frederick and McDougall Streets in 1908. There, Felician nuns taught school in both English and Polish. On May 25, 1924, parishioners dedicated this Romanesque and Byzantine style church, designed by Detroit architects Donaldson and Meier. St. Hyacinth’s pastor, Bishop Stefan Woznicki, founded the Liga Katolicka, a national agency to support the Catholic Church in Poland, in 1945.
Erected 2006 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L1592.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 25, 1924.
Location. 42° 22.176′ N, 83° 2.179′ W. Marker is in Detroit, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is in Poletown East. Marker can be reached from the intersection of McDougall Street and Frederick
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Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5240 McDougall St, Detroit MI 48211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 231 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 10, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.