Saints Peter and Paul Church

This Plain Roman style building is the oldest extant church in Detroit that is still being used as a church, having been used as a place of worship for 121 years. It had the distinction of being studied by the Historic American Buildings Survey team in 1934. The church was built during the tenure of Bishop Peter Paul Lefevre to serve as the Cathedral of the Detroit Diocese. Shortly after his consecration, Bishop Lefevre found himself in the embarrassing situation of trying to solve the financial difficulties his predecessor had incurred with the Corporation of St. Anne. He did so by rigid economy and subsidies from the German and French missionary societies. His experiences with the Corporation resulted in his determination not to be subject to lay control during his tenure as Bishop. Hence, he purchased a plot of ground on the northeast corner of Jefferson Avenue and St. Antoine Street and began the erection of a church and residence that would be completely free of lay control. The church was designed by Francis Letourneau and Peter Kindenkens. Letourneau, a 'boss builder' in Detroit in the 1830s, was a native of Mt. Clemens. He moved to Detroit in 1812 to learn the carpentry trade and to study architecture. He built the wooden dwelling of Thomas Palmer, which was at that time considered the best house in the city. He also built the Michigan Exchange Hotel, steamboats, several lighthouses, and the building of Ft. Wayne. Peter Kindenkens was a seminarian from the Diocese of Ghent, Belgium. Bishop Lefevre ordained him in September, 1842, and made him his vicar-general. Kindenkens also supervised the building of Saints Peter and Paul's. Construction was slow because the Bishop paid cash for each stage built. The building of SS. Peter and Paul's was a step toward the abolition of trusteeism in the Detroit Diocese. The church was consecrated on June 29, 1848. The Rev. John Farnam was the first priest. Bishop Lefevre used the church as his cathedral until his death in 1869.

Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church is located on the northeast corner of Jefferson Avenue and St. Antoine Street. Designated by the Historic American Buildings Survey as an excellent example of Classical Roman architecture, the church is constructed of brick and painted gray. The building is 80 feet (three bays) by 137 feet (seven bays) and is 72 feet high. The brick walls are divided by thin Ionic pilasters; on the front is a central projection pedimented above a simple attic course. Basilican in style, the church has a slightly projecting central front tower terminating in a low square cupola with thin pilasters. The stone Ionic capitals are a notable feature of the edifice. There is a sheet-metal cornice, rounded windows, and an arched doorway framed by a pedimented Ionic frontispiece. There is a carved stone tympanum, narthex, three aisles covered by plaster barrel vaults, and a semi-circular apse. The original cupola has been replaced. The tall spire originally intended to form the central motif over the main entrance was never completed. The church seats one thousand and its original cost was $30,000.