Downtown Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Mariners' Church / U.S. Topographical Engineers
Mariners' Church
In 1842, according to the will of Julia Ann Anderson, Mariners' Church was organized to serve the spiritual needs of Great Lakes seamen. Anderson had come to Detroit in 1818 with her husband, John, a brevet lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Topographical Engineers. Designed by Calvin Otis of Buffalo, New York, the Gothic Revival church was built in 1849 on the northwest corner of Woodward Avenue and Woodbridge Street. In 1955 the church was moved to make room for Civic Center Plaza. Hauled 880 feet along steel rails to this site, the 3,000-ton limestone structure blocked Woodward Avenue traffic for 21 days. The church was immortalized in the 1975 ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” as the “cathedral” where “the church bell chimed 'til it rang 29 times.” Mariners' Church is in the National Register of Historic Places.
U.S. Topographical Engineers
When Michigan became a state in 1837, the Detroit office of the U.S. Topographical Engineers was headquartered on this site. The topographical engineers helped transform Michigan from a wilderness into a prosperous state. They also played a vital role in Great Lakes navigation before the Civil War. First appointed in 1813, the engineers surveyed land, canals, railroads, and harbors, and platted military positions relative to roads, villages, rivers, and ravines. They also constructed lighthouses. During the 1820s and 1830s engineers from the Detroit office built roads to Toledo, Saginaw, and Chicago, thus opening Michigan’s interior to new settlement. As a result, Michigan’s population increased from 8,000 in 1820 to 200,000 in 1840.
Erected 1997 by Michigan History Center, Department of State. (Marker Number HB11.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1842.
Location. 42° 19.761′ N, 83° 2.527′ W. Marker is in Detroit, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is in Downtown Detroit. Marker is at the intersection of East Jefferson Avenue (State Highway 10) and Randolph Street (State Highway 3), on the right when traveling east on East Jefferson Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 170 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit MI 48226, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. U.S. Topographical Engineers (a few steps from this marker); Shrine Circus (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Salvation Army (about 600 feet away); David Dunbar Buick / Buick Motor Company (about 600 feet away); Spirit of Detroit (about 700 feet away); Monument to Joe Louis, 1986 (about 700 feet away); University of Michigania (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Landing of Cadillac / Le débarquement de Cadillac (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Detroit.
Also see . . .
1. Mariner's Church of Detroit. Church website homepage (Submitted on May 12, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
2. Mariners Church. Historic Detroit website entry (Submitted on April 20, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2011, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. This page has been viewed 914 times since then and 25 times this year. Last updated on October 18, 2022, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. Photos: 1. submitted on October 18, 2022, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 2. submitted on May 10, 2011, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 3. submitted on October 18, 2022, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on May 10, 2011, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.