Near Zeeland in Ottawa County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

1869 Vriesland Reformed Church
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1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Building

1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kathy Garman, June 6, 2021

1. 1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Marker

Inscription. 1869 Vriesland Reformed Church The congregation of the 1869 Vriesland Reformed Church was organized in 1846 in the Netherlands. Led by the Reverend Maarten Anne Ypma, forty-nine adults and their children emigrated to the United States in 1847. Attracted by the clay soil, these farmers settled this area and named it Vriesland for their native province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Many descendants of the community’s original families still reside in the area, and Frisian names are prevalent.

1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Building This edifice, built in 1869 during the ministry of the Reverend Henry Uiterwyk, is one of the oldest Reformed Church structures in Michigan. The first church on this site was a log cabin which was soon replaced by a clapboard building. The Colonial style of this third place of worship remains largely unchanged. The steeple, roof line, and exterior walls and ornamentation are original. The congregation of the Vriesland Reformed Church worshipped here until 1973.

Erected 1979 by Michigan History Division, Department of State. (Marker Number L0482.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture •

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Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1869.

Location. 42° 48.719′ N, 85° 56.473′ W. Marker is near Zeeland, Michigan, in Ottawa County. It is on Byron Road west of 64th Avenue, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6441 Byron Rd, Zeeland MI 49464, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West Michigan,

specifically in Greater Grand Rapids,

and in one of the Lake Michigan Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Drenthe Christian Reformed Church (approx. 2 miles away); P. Henry De Pree / P. Henry De Pree House (approx. 3½ miles away); Michigan's "Chick Center" (approx. 3.7 miles away); Zeeland Cemetery (approx. 3.7 miles away); First Reformed Church (approx. 3.7 miles away); Veneklasen Brick Company / Veneklasen Brick (approx. 4.8 miles away); Oakland Christian Reformed Church (approx. 4.9 miles away); New Groningen / Jan Rabbers (approx. 5.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Zeeland.

Additional commentary.
1. 1869 Vriesland Reformed Church
The current building is now the Zeeland Church of God.

1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Building Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kathy Garman, June 6, 2021

2. 1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Building Marker

— Submitted September 24, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills.

1869 Vriesland Reformed Church and Historical Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by John Garman, June 6, 2021

3. 1869 Vriesland Reformed Church and Historical Marker

Photographed by John Garman, June 6, 2021

4. 1869 Vriesland Reformed Church and Historical Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. This page has been viewed 1,680 times since then and 127 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 24, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.

1869 Vriesland Reformed Church⎯⎯⎯1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Building

1869 Vriesland Reformed Church
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1869 Vriesland Reformed Church Building