
A similar sequence of events transpired as we passed the Little Stone Church on Mackinac Island. (Photo at right.) At the onset, I thought this was the only other church on the island aside from St. Anne's. Later as I researched, I learned there are a few other churches that called Mackinac home.
We visited Fort Michilimackinac the last two posts. If you missed the insider details, links are at the bottom. I shared that St. Anne's (built by the French) existed at the original fort (photo below left) and the latter constructed St. Ann's Church (built by the British) remains on Mackinac island (below right).
The oldest surviving church building in Michigan, known as Mission Church started in 1829. Missionaries Reverend William Ferry and wife, Amanda founded the Protestant church while serving the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission,. To fulfill their calling, the couple sought to teach Native American children. With the decline of the fur trade, church attendance waned. The history of the building itself then featured private use, a meeting house, a substitute location for the Catholic church, among other purposes until Mackinac developed as a summer destination in the late 1800s. The restored building held services again in 1895. The State of Michigan assumed ownership in 1955. Now a State Park, from May through October, couples have the option to marry within this historic, New England style church.
In 1899 the Union Church Society formed the Union Congregational Church. In 1904 the construction of this adorable church consisted of assembling walls of fieldstone. If you read the first post on Castle Farms, you learned how farmers joked of the plethora of stones in Michigan. There are three ornate stained-glass windows that shed light on the history of Mackinac Island. From the fur trade to missionary William Ferry. Now an historic site, The Little Stone Church is a popular wedding destination. Visitors can tour the interior of the church and grounds in summer months.
An interesting point many sites offer is while the different congregations sought the same populations, which would seem to foster competition. Due to the nature of the geography, the denominations worked together. Case in point, multiple denominations worshipped inside the Little Stone Church.
For an island with 3.8 square miles in total area, it is home to many churches. Though, consider where we live. On the main street outside my neighborhood, I can count three churches. There are even more in the near vicinity. Are there numerous churches where you live? Are any of them over 350 years old?
If you missed the prior posts on Fort Michilimackinac you can find them here: Unearthing the Past at Fort Michilimackinac and Sneaking Inside the Walls of Fort Michilimackinac.
Sources below if you would like to read a bit more about the Mackinac churches and their histories.
https://steannechurch.org/history/
https://www.mackinacparks.com/blog/historic-mission-church/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.14321/j.ctt7zt6cw
https://www.mackinacparks.com/mackinac-venue/historic-mission-church-wedding/
https://www.littlestonechurch.com/history.htm
https://www.mackinacisland.org/blog/post/churches-of-mackinac-island-350-years-of-historic-beauty/
As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for anonline magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 130 Plans, in 44 languages on the Bible.com app.
Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and a college senior. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers.
