Although the skyline of the city has changed with the competition to build the tallest building in Grand Rapids, one item remains the same – the many steeples of the churches that are the foundation of our ancestors who settled along the banks of the Grand River.
Each of these represents our past and the immigrants that settled in our area to give Grand Rapids the nickname “Furniture City”.
In this series you will follow the Steeple Chase throughout this great city and view the awe inspiring architecture of our forefathers. The distinct architectural styles represent the great churches of Europe from which these immigrants fled to find a new life in the United States.
This is not meant to promote any one religion, but to show how all have blended together within the City of Grand Rapids to make this one great place to live.
Basilica of St. Adalbert
In the mid-1880’s, fraternal aid societies were springing up in the primarily ethnic areas of Grand Rapids. The societies were formed to help new immigrants in the area find housing and employment.
The Saint Adalbert Aid Society was formed in 1872 and served the predominately Polish community on the West-side. In 1880, two lots were purchased at the corner of Fourth Street and Davis Avenue. The following year, a small wooden church was construction and was beginning of the Saint Adalbert Parish. As the parish grew, so did the church with additions made in both 1891 and 1892.
In July 1907, the current church building was started with the cornerstone laid on August 18, 1907. Totaling $150,000, the building was finished in 1913. The original wooden church building was transported to Belmont, MI by horse-drawn wagon and reconstructed to become the parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Basilica – A “House Fit for a King”
St. Adalbert’s was the first church in Michigan to given the honor of Basilica. This honor is bestowed to a church based on its architectural style (Romanesque), setting of the altar and for the playing a significance role in furthering the Faith in a particular area. Setting before a rounded wall, the altar has a Baldachino, or canopy, supported by four pillars. St. Adalbert is one of the very few churches in the United States to be designated a Basilica. (source: http://www.basilicagr.org/brief-history/basilica-history/)