Heritage Chapel

Heritage Chapel. . , In 1883, six bold German immigrant families settled in the area of Brutus, Michigan about 20 miles south of Mackinaw City. They raised their families, carved out a living, worked the soil, and in 1895 built this church on Red School Road just 1/4 mile west of US-31., The German Evangelical and Reformed congregation used this church for seven decades, mostly performing services in the German language. In 1960 a new church was built and this building was left for storage. By the late 1980s it had fallen into disrepair and was no longer used. In 2010 the Mackinaw Area Historical Society disassembled and moved it to Heritage Village., Over 5,000 volunteer hours were involved in restoring the church as it was in 1895. Much of the interior original including the pulpit, altar table, and the 1916 piano as well as panes of glass. Two stained glass windows, originally from the Presbyterian church in Mackinaw City, also hang inside. The vestibule and handicapped ramp are modern additions., In the fall of 2013 the building was re-dedicated as a non-denominational Christian house of worship. Heritage Chapel is available for weddings, funerals, speakers, and various Historical Society activities., Captions , Original immigrants , Most of the original German immigrant are seen in this 1892 photo., Back row - Karl (Charley) Kugler, Gottlieb Wurst, Pauline Kugler, Katherine Schreier, Jacob Schreier, Karl Schreier, Middle row: Karl (Charley) Kuebler, Louise Klenk, John Klenk, Rosina Wurst, John Wurst Front row - Christian Dieterich and Gottlieb Dieterich, The Schreiers went on to have seven children. Pauline was born a few years after their arrival when Katherine was 25-years old. The youngest, Lydia, was born when Katherine was 41-years-old., Front row: Helen (11/22/1900), Katherine (12/31/1865), Lydia (7/4/1906), Jacob (2/19/1856), Albert (3/6/1903), Back row: Herman (9/6/1893), Ida (9/9/1895), Pauline (2/27/1890), Henry (9/14/1891), Most of the original members are buried in the cemetery on the south side of Red School Road across from the original church location., The church was disassembled by removing the roof and collapsing the walls flat. It was driven to Heritage Village and reassembled., When the Historical Society got the church it looked like this inside. Today it has new floors, refinished pews, and a new coat of paint.