Discuss Detroit » DISCUSS DETROIT! » Another old church burning. « Previous Next »
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Supersport
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Username: Supersport

Post Number: 2615
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 3:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

An old church on Grand River is currently burning. Its just south of Tulc. Firemen are cutting holes in the roof with axes. I'm sure it'll end up leveled, as that's how we do it here. Its so cooold in the D...
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Jleurck
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Username: Jleurck

Post Number: 19
Registered: 04-2008
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 4:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

SS, is it the one at 8240 Grand River Ave (corner of GR and Vicksburg), or is it the big old catholic church just a block east of GR on Quincy (the former St. Theresa of Avila parish, I think) that you can see from GR?
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321brian
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Username: 321brian

Post Number: 651
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 4:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Any word on which City Council member or Kilpatrick posse/family member stepped in before the lightning struck?
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Rhymeswithrawk
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Username: Rhymeswithrawk

Post Number: 1821
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 6:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Any word on which church? :-(
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Supersport
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Username: Supersport

Post Number: 2616
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 8:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The one at Vicksburg. That one just east of Grand River is a beaut!
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Urbanfisherman
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Username: Urbanfisherman

Post Number: 130
Registered: 07-2008
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 8:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Too bad. I liked that one too.
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Leannam1989
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Username: Leannam1989

Post Number: 238
Registered: 06-2008
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 8:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This one?
0%2C-13.027950310559005,http:/ /maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour ce=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Radfor d+St+at+Vicksburg+St,+Detroit, +MI,+United+States&sll=42.3609 3,-83.11639&sspn=0.003655,0.00 6909&ie=UTF8&ll=42.361937,-83. 116872&spn=0.006929,0.013819&t =h&z=16&iwloc=addr&layer=c&cbl l=42.360824,-83.116867&panoid= dRMJ0OEqc17o1_uvCm3BKA&cbp=12, 206.41304347826087,,0,-13.0279 50310559005
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Ancestor_hunter
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Username: Ancestor_hunter

Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2009
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 10:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sorry to hear about that church burning. Great architecture, at least from the outside. I'm glad it wasn't St. Theresa's. I attended High School there, and was in the final class to graduate in '67.

BTW, I'm new here and am thoroughly enjoying the threads.
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Bobl
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Username: Bobl

Post Number: 667
Registered: 07-2008
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 10:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A: Welcome! A warning: it gets addicting....
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Ancestor_hunter
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Username: Ancestor_hunter

Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2009
Posted on Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 10:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Like coneys? (GOD! Haven't had one in 3 years and that's the first thing I'm doing when I get home in May!) Thanks for the Welcome! Nice to meet you.
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Sumas
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Username: Sumas

Post Number: 832
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 5:43 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bobl is right, this forum is addicting. I second his welcome to the forum. I didn't eat dinner last night and now I am craving a coney too.

Sorry to hear about the fire. Did it have an active congregation?
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Detroitbob48209
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Username: Detroitbob48209

Post Number: 18
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 2:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I believe the church was empty. The original Calvary Presbyterian Church congregation sold/closed about 1992. Gordie Howe was married here in 1te old days. It also once housed most of the former Orchestra Hall Cassavant Pipe Organ, installed in the 1940's after tehe symphony left Orchestra Hall. The organ was removed a few years back and is now in storage minus the 32' pipes and the Tuba organ.

See more info at the Cassavant site

http://www.casavant.ca/new_tem p/anglais/History/Early/1013.p df
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2437
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 6:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroitbob48209--the pedal trombone from that instrument was added to the Barton in the Royal Oak theatre in the mid 1970s. It was backstage, and was too much for that organ, it obliterated everything else when it came on. That instrument was evicted about 1991, it was sold, then sold again to a broker who broke it up.
is the remainder of the Orchestra hall organ intact?
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Detroitbob48209
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Username: Detroitbob48209

Post Number: 19
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Sunday, March 22, 2009 - 8:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The tuba organ and the chests along with the 32's were at the Toledo Pipe Organ company in Toledo, Ohio and went down with the building when the cross town xway was constructed. I remember Rick Shindell talking about this years ago. The OH organ was huge scale...similar instrument is the Cassavant at the DIA auditorium, also donated by Murphy...the Dia is still intact, and I understand still playable.

The remains of the OH organ is upnorth, outside of Traverse City MI per the Cassavant web site.

I drove by old Calvary this afternoon and it appears the fire was at the sanctuary end (alley) side of the building and involved the attic, where the bulk of the old OH organ was installed. I remember seeing the organ in the early 70's and it was literally crammed in the attic area and side chambers. Infact, the wind had been cut to the attic area as it was always impossible, due to seasonal temp changes, to keep it anywhere in tune. The remaining departments that were playable sounded great, but far to over scaled for the building.

56packman Email me privately at:
repairpc@comcast.net
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English
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Username: English

Post Number: 502
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 - 11:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sad! This was my mom's best friend's old church. My Girl Scout troop's Neighborhood Service Organization met in the basement... :-(
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Rhymeswithrawk
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Username: Rhymeswithrawk

Post Number: 1853
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 9:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

News agencies reporting that it was a fire caused by a generator on the roof. Scrappers, maybe?
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Detroitbob48209
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Username: Detroitbob48209

Post Number: 23
Registered: 02-2009
Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 9:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I drove by the church this afternoon and there has been some attempts at damage control---blue tarps over most of the larger holes, plywood sheets over some of tha smaller ones. It appears that the building is secure, and save for a damaged window in the tower at the Grand River/Vicksburg corner, all the stained glass seems intact. As I remember, the windows were impressive art glass that appeared older in terms of style than the building. As the congregation predated the building, they may have been transferred from a previous building. The office area on Vicksburg seems undamaged.

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