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Return to Prayer, Parlor, and Play
Churches
In 1848 the Michigan legislature offered a free building lot to any Christian denomination
willing to build a church in the new capital city. Although the offer was no longer in
effect in 1897, many churches still found a location near the Capitol desirable, and they
played a visible role in the public life of the city. Their activities—and sometimes
their sermons—were well-reported in the newspapers.
Some of the artifacts that can be seen in the photograph of the exhibit include:
- A stained glass window from the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. By 1897
Lansing's first African-American congregation, which was established in 1866, had built a
small brick church on Pine Street, between Michigan and Ottawa.
- A pew from the First Baptist Church. The First Baptist Church was dedicated in 1895.
- A baptismal font from the First Presbyterian Church. The First Presbyterian Church was
one of the city's oldest congregations, dating back to 1847. For fifty years its 300
members worshiped in a large brick church at the corner of Allegan St. and Capitol Ave.
- Olds family Bible, inscribed by Metta to her daughter Bernice.
First Presbyterian |
First Baptist |
St. Mary's |
Lansing churches in 1897 included:
- Adventist
- Seventh Day Adventist, 608 Washtenaw w.
- Baptist
- First Baptist Church, sw corner Capitol Ave. and Ionia
- Park Baptist Church, Corner Kalamazoo and Capitol Ave.
- South Street Baptist Mission, n side of South between Lee and Platt
- Catholic
- St. Mary's Catholic Church, nw corner Madison and Chestnut
- Cedar Branch, M. P.
- Cedar Branch, M. P. Church, n side Main, between Grand and Washington Ave.
- Congregational
- Plymouth Congregational Church, se corner Allegan and Townsend
- Pilgrim Congregational Church, corner, Pennsylvania Ave. and Eureka
- Mayflower Mission Church, corner St. Joseph and Logan
- Episcopal
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church, n side Ottawa, between Capitol Ave. and Seymour
- Jewish
- Lansing had no synagogue in the 1890s. The city was home to about 20 Jewish families who
gathered in private homes to hold services.
- Lutheran
- German Lutheran Dreieinigkeits, se corner Saginaw and Chestnut
- Emanuel's First German Lutheran, ne corner Seymour and Kilborn
- St. Paul's German Evangelical, se corner Walnut and Genesee
- Methodist
- African M. E. Church, w side Pine, between Michigan Ave. and Ottawa
- Central M. E. Church, nw corner Capitol ave and Ottawa
- German M. E. Church, se corner Seymour and Saginaw
- Lansing First M. E. Church, se corner Franklin and Cedar
- Presbyterian
- First Presbyterian Church, sw corner Allegan and Capitol Ave.
- Franklin Street Presbyterian Church, nw corner Franklin and Washington Ave.
- Salvation Army
- Salvation Army Barracks, 308 Washington Ave. n.
- Spiritualist
- First Society of Spiritualists, Old City Hall Bldg.
- Universalist
- Church of Our Father, ne corner Capitol Ave. and Ottawa
- Undenominational
- Bethesda Mission, 327 Michigan Ave. e.
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