The bell tolls 29 times: Old Mariners' Church of Detroit

November 9, 12:03 PMDetroit History ExaminerPatrick Bernhardt

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Old Mariners' Church, Detroit. Author's Collection.

Each year, on the closest Sunday to November 10th (this year happening yesterday, November 8th), Old Mariners' Church in Detroit holds a memorial service for all Great Lakes Sailors who have perished since commercial navigation first began. This tradition is relatively recent in the church's history, having its origins in the famous 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior. However, the history of the church goes back much farther than that.

Old Mariners' from the People Mover. Author's Collection.

Old Mariners' Church did not begin its life in its current location.  It was originally built in 1849 at the foot of Woodward Avenue, in what is today Hart Plaza.  This was a convenient location for providing services for sailors calling at the port of Detroit.  At the time of its construction is was a two story building.  The church itself was located on the second floor; the first was rented out to tenants, such as the Post Office, to subsidize church costs, since sailors of the time could hardly afford to pay them.  It served its purpose of bringing God to sailors for many years, and an additional, though secret, purpose as well: it served as a brief stop on the Underground Railroad.

Another view from Jefferson Avenue in April of 2007.  Author's Collection.

 In 1955, with the advent of the Civic Center construction, Old Mariners' Church was moved to its present location in front of the Detroit- Windsor Tunnel.  The move changed some elements of the buildings architecture, and a tower  was added to the church as well.

This church, while having a long history, only gained true national publicity with the advent of the sinking of the Fitzgerald on November 10th, 1975.  The day following the loss, November 11th, Bishop Richard Ingalls, Sr. rang the bell 29 times, once for each man aboard the vessel.  This event was immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck the Edmund Fitzgerald," and so gained national awareness.  This has since become a yearly event, expanded to commemorate all sailors lost on the Great Lakes.

Old Mariners' Church of Detroit has had a long history, and promises to have a long future ahead as well.  With services still held every Sunday, this church will remain a cornerstone of the Detroit community for years to come.

Sources: Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher.  AIA Detroit.

Old Mariners' Church