St. John's Episcopal Church

01 / The story of this place

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St. John's Episcopal Church went up on Woodward Avenue in 1861, in the years just before Henry P. Baldwin became one of Michigan's most prominent public figures. Baldwin, a wealthy Detroit merchant, helped found the parish, paid much of the cost of building it, and served for decades as its senior warden, the top lay leadership role in an Episcopal church. He went on to serve as Michigan's governor from 1869 to 1873 and later represented the state in the U.S. Senate, but he kept his ties to St. John's throughout his career. The Gothic Revival building is now the oldest church still standing on Woodward Avenue, once known as Piety Hill for its cluster of grand churches, and it earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. St. John's remains an active parish today, just blocks from the Fox Theatre and Comerica Park.

1. Built in 1861 on Woodward Avenue
2. Founded and financed by Henry P. Baldwin
3. Baldwin served as senior warden for decades
4. He became Michigan's governor in 1869 and later a U.S. senator
5. Oldest church still standing on Woodward Avenue
6. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982