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.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
As you travel east on Pearl Street, you will find Grand Rapids’ oldest public building and one of the greatest gems in the city – St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
On October 6, 1836 St. Mark’s was established in the small city of Grand Rapids, with a population of approximately 500, for its Episcopal parishioners. Four years later land was donated to build a permanent church building. The walls of the new building were constructed with stones extracted from the Grand River. Parishioners began holding services in October 1848 and the building was consecrated the following year.
Since its humble beginnings, many changes and additions have been made to the church including the magnificent towers seen today. The church is patterned after the Trinity Church in New York with its Gothic Revival architectural style.
In addition to a church, St. Mark’s established St. Mark’s Home and Hospital which later became Butterworth Hospital and is known today as Spectrum Health – Butterworth Campus. In 1850, one of the first colleges, St. Mark’s College, was founded to promote higher education in the region. Unfortunately, it was only open for one year and was quickly abandoned. (source: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/st-marks-college-grand-rapids-michigan)