St. Agnes Church is one of the many locations I have wanted to return to for years. When I first visited, time was very limited inside the building, and I was only able to capture a couple of images, neither of which I care for much. It is what it is, though.

Photo: Johnny Joo – Odd World Studio

The Founding of St. Agnes Parish

A New Beginning in LaSalle Park

In 1913, the Detroit Catholic Archdiocese, under the guidance of Bishop John S. Foley, invited Reverend Chas E. Henigan to be the pioneering spirit behind St. Agnes parish. Nestled within the up-and-coming LaSalle Park neighborhood, the stage was set for the architectural narrative of a sanctuary. A plot at the intersection of LaSalle and 12th Streets became the canvas for the congregation’s aspirations.

The Inaugural Mass and Early Growth

Fast forward to April 1914, and the inaugural mass of St. Agnes unfolded in the intimate setting of a private home at 111 LaSalle Gardens. As the months passed, the community expanded to the point where a more spacious, 200-seat, wood-framed edifice at 12th Street and Bethune Avenue became the house of worship.

Educational Expansion and Architectural Development

The Rise of St. Agnes School

Just three years later, St. Agnes School opened its doors. Initially, seven Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters served as the educational artisans for 180 eager young minds, spanning first through eighth grades. The close of the year saw the school’s roster swell to 330 students, and by the autumn of 1918, a ninth grade was added, necessitating an expansion to accommodate 471 pupils. The evolving academic tableau eventually included grades eleven and twelve, brought to life through the establishment of Blessed Sacrament High School.

Constructing the Gothic Revival Sanctuary

By 1922, the church’s architectural vision crystallized in the form of a Gothic Revival sanctuary, courtesy of the Detroit-based firm of Van Leyen, Schilling, Keough, and Reynolds. Constructed from an interplay of reinforced concrete, brick, and steel, and carrying a price tag of $150,000, this sanctuary was more than a mere structure—it was a crafted space of communal identity. September 10 saw the cornerstone ceremoniously laid, and by November 1923, the doors were open, although the formal dedication would not occur until June 1, 1924. Amplifying the spiritual resonance of the building was a custom-built pipe organ, the Opus No. 1035, crafted by the illustrious Casavant Frères.

Adapting to Change: The Mid-20th Century

Challenges and Adaptations

As the 1920s unfolded, the school’s enrollment surged to over 800 students. The Great Depression imposed its own set of challenges: a room within the school was allocated to amass food and clothing for the struggling community. Cultural programs like a drama and debate club saw their inception, even as athletic endeavors were momentarily shelved due to financial constraints. However, by the 1940s, the St. Agnes “Panthers” sprang to life, as a symbol of resilience and community spirit.

Demographic Shifts and the School’s Evolution

Amidst the seismic shifts of the mid-20th century, Detroit found itself grappling with racial discord, industrial metamorphosis, and the mass exodus of jobs in the automotive sector. This cocktail of challenges led to a dramatic population contraction, dwindling from its peak of 1.85 million in 1950 to 1.51 million by 1970.

The LaSalle Park neighborhood, which had reached a level of mature community cohesion, mirrored this larger narrative. Attendance at St. Agnes’ weekly sermons gradually ebbed. In a strategic response, the church broadened its embrace to integrate with the larger African-American community. Yet, the school found itself in less certain waters. In a bid for reinvention, the high school section transitioned into a magnet school for females in March 1958. Six years later, St. Agnes had successfully carved out a robust community comprising 1,500 families, serviced by three priests and 22 nuns. The educational component was similarly well-represented with 408 students, including 180 young women at the all-girls high school.

However, the walls of the magnet school could not withstand the tides of change for long. It closed its doors in June 1967, integrating with St. Martin De Porres. The final curtain came down on the remaining educational operations in June 1971. This phase marked a poignant transition for St. Agnes, a once bustling center of spiritual and educational vitality, as it folded into the layered history and complexities of Detroit’s evolving urban tapestry.

Photo: Johnny Joo – Odd World Studio

Closure and Resurrection

The End of an Era and a New Beginning

In the waning days of 1988, Cardinal Edmund Szoka made a dramatic proclamation: 30 Detroit churches faced closure or merger, their fates sealed by dwindling congregations and escalating maintenance costs. St. Agnes found itself on this somber list, its community whittled down to just 200 members. The Archdiocese orchestrated a union between St. Agnes and St. Theresa of Avila, with the St. Agnes facility chosen as the host despite its more wearied condition—a choice that sparked its share of controversy.

Martyrs of Uganda and Beyond

Resurrected in September 1990, the parish took on the name Martyrs of Uganda, a homage to the African missionaries who were executed in 1887 for standing steadfast in their faith. This newly christened community saw the school transform into a Montessori academy, sharing its campus with a senior housing complex. With an intensified focus on community outreach, the parish did see an uptick in membership, yet the persistent trend of decreasing attendance remained unbroken. The Montessori initiative met its end in 2000, and by June 2006, Martyrs of Uganda shuttered its doors, its remaining 90 faithful directed towards St. Cecilia Church.

A New Chapter…Sort of

The year 2007 saw another wave of change wash over the facility. The once-vibrant pews and ornate stained glass were removed, the latter replaced by nondescript plexiglass. In a twist of fate, the edifice fell into the hands of a new congregation that never took residence. By 2009, the melodic whispers of the pipe organ had been silenced by metal scrappers, and the complex was essentially robbed of its aesthetic pieces. It wasn’t until June 2012 that the property caught the eye of Scott Griffin—a theater producer and real estate investor—who acquired this palimpsest of community, spirituality, and architecture for $90,000.

For years now, St. Agnes has sat abandoned, empty, and quiet, collecting dust as the structure continues to slowly collapse, bit by bit. It’s unclear the exact future ahead for St. Agnes Church. There have been talks of converting the space into housing and shops, and even talks of a possible concert venue. Only time will tell what the future holds for this space, but until then, people continue to explore, photograph, and document its history, and some even hold their wedding ceremonies within its crumbling walls.