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. Isidore
As you travel into the city of Grand Rapids from the east along I-196, the tall steeples of St. Isidore rise over the city high on the Diamond Ave hill.
The second Polish parish in Grand Rapids, the land for the site was purchased in 1891 to serve the parishioners on the east side of the Grand River. As the church was being built, it was named after the Polish Saint Stanislaus.
Completed in 1897, the church served initially 150 families in the area. In addition to the church, a school and convent were also built at the same time. Unlike many churches in the area, the church was completed under budget. Although the parishioners chose the name of St. Stanislaus for their church, this was overruled by Bishop Richter who declared the new church would be St. Isidore after the Spanish saint of farmers.
By the early 1900’s, the parish had grown and a new church was built at the current location. In 1913 the first mass was held in the basement of the church and by 1917 the upper portion of the church was completed and services were held. In addition, a new rectory was also built next to the next church building.
In 1926 a new school was added to the St. Isidore campus on the back side of the church. In the 1950’s a new convent was added (1955) and a new rectory (1957).
(source: https://babs27.wordpress.com/architecture/catholic-churches/individual-church-history-part-two/saint-isidore/)