East Village in Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, June 16, 2025
1. The Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army Marker
Bishop Derrick Fields founded this congregation of Ethiopian Israelites in Alabama in the early twentieth century. The congregation moved to Detroit during the Great Migration and incorporated in 1938 during the kingship of Bishop William Dixon. I-75's construction in the 1950s forced its relocation from 5434 Hastings Street in Black Bottom. Archbishop Martin Tumpkin led the Spiritual Israel Church and its Army in buying this building in 1960, making it the headquarters of all of the church's temples. Built in 1911 by the Amity and Island View Lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, this structure served the Odd Fellows as a meeting hall. The Knights of Columbus purchased and renamed the building Gabriel Richard Hall in 1942 and used it with other fraternal orders until 1960.
Erected 2022 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan History Center. (Marker Number L2343.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission
this page online
Location. 42° 21.854′ N, 82° 59.221′ W. Marker is in Detroit, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is in East Village. It is on Amity Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9375 Amity Street, Detroit MI 48214, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan. 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 Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pewabic Pottery / Mary Chase Perry Stratton (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ossian Sweet House / Dr. Ossian Sweet (approx. 0.4 miles away); Eastern Liggett School / Detroit Waldorf School (approx. half a mile away); Indian Village (approx. half a mile away); Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Last Tollgate in Detroit
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, June 16, 2025
2. The Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army Marker
Also see . . . Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army Temple. Description:
Amity Temple is a massive rectangular four-story building of limestone-trimmed red brick. The front facade has six bays, containing paired door and window openings at ground level. This facade reflects the two stages of construction, with the right-hand half (containing three bays) constructed in 1911 and the left-hand half in 1920. The central bay of the right-hand portion contains the main entry doors, and the section is topped by a classical limestone cornice and limestone-trimmed parapet.(Submitted on June 17, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)
Each of the window bays on the lower three stories once contained two large double-hung windows; the upper story bays contained single large three-section windows. All window openings have since been infilled with a stucco-like material, and narrow windows inset into the larger openings.
The rear and side walls of the building are plain brick, and like the front facade containslarge window openings, later infilled with narrow windows inserted. The fourth story only extends over a portion of the footprint.Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, June 16, 20253. The Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army Marker
Additional commentary.
1. National Register of Historic Places
The Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army was added to the NRHP on December 10, 2014.
— Submitted June 17, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, June 16, 2025
4. The Spiritual Israel Church and Its Army
Credits. This page was last revised on June 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 371 times since then and 137 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 17, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
