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.
Netherlands Reformed Church of Grand Rapids
Located on the west side of Grand Rapids, Netherlands Reformed Church reflects the rich heritage of the Dutch settlers in the area. For 11 years, a group of families met together for worship services in a hall on West Bridge Street. In 1887, they chose to be recognized as a congregation by establishing their own church and purchasing the old Turner Street No. 6 School from the City of Grand Rapids. After remodeling the building to fit their needs, the building was dedicated in February 1888. Later that same year a parsonage was completed. Although the new church followed the Reformed doctrines, it was not considered a Reformed church.
The church remained in the same building for 20 years until 1908 when the old school building was torn down and replaced by a new red brick building.
In 1918, the church formally joined the Netherlands Reformed denomination. The congregation in the mid 1940’s again chose to be independent and left the denomination.
In 1960, when US-131 was added to the landscape of Grand Rapids, the old church was razed to make way for the new expressway. With the $135,500 compensation paid by the state for their land, the congregation built their present church building which was dedicated in April 1970.
It was not until 1987 that it again was recognized as a Netherlands Reformed denomination.
(sources: https://www.calvin.edu/hh/origins/Fall10.pdf, http://www.historygrandrapids.org/uploads/files/document/Turner.pdf, http://dutch-reformed.wikia.com/wiki/Covell_Avenue_Netherlands_Reformed_Church,_Grand_Rapids,_Michigan)