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Greektown in Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

St. Mary's Church

 
 
St. Mary's Church Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Don Morfe, June 15, 2002
1. St. Mary's Church Marker
Inscription. St. Mary's parish was founded by Father Martin Kundig in 1835 for the German-speaking Catholics in Detroit and is the third oldest Catholic parish in the city. The cornerstone for the original church was laid on the feast of Corpus Christi, June 19, 1841, and the church was consecrated in honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on June 29, 1843. This High Victorian Romanesque style structure was designed by German parishioner Peter Dederiches. The cornerstone was laid in 1884, and the edifice was completed in 1885. St. Mary's founded the city's first black and Hispanic missions. Since 1893, this parish has been guided by the Fathers of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, C.S. Sp.
 
Erected 1980 by Michigan History Division, Department of State. (Marker Number L0686A.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical date for this entry is June 19, 1841.
 
Location. 42° 20.131′ N, 83° 2.446′ W. Marker is in Detroit, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is in Greektown. It is on St. Antoine Street. The church is located in the heart of Greek Town, Detroit. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Detroit MI 48226, 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 walking distance of this marker: St. Mary's Rectory (within shouting distance
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of this marker); Detroit Cornice and Slate Building (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Church of Annunciation (about 500 feet away); Second Baptist Church Underground Railroad Site (about 600 feet away); Second Baptist Church (about 600 feet away); St. Mary's School (about 600 feet away); Holy Family Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Frederick Douglass - John Brown Meeting (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Detroit.
 
St. Mary's Church-Front view image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Don Morfe, June 15, 2002
2. St. Mary's Church-Front view
St. Mary's Church-Main Altar image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Don Morfe, June 15, 2002
3. St. Mary's Church-Main Altar
St. Mary's Church-Side Altar image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Don Morfe, June 15, 2002
4. St. Mary's Church-Side Altar
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 713 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 4, 2016, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
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Jun. 10, 2026