First English Evangelical Lutheran Parish House
3619 Mt Elliott St, Detroit, MI 48207
-Abandoned 2011
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History of the First English Evangelical Lutheran Parish House
The First English Evangelical Lutheran Parish House was an addition to the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was built in 1909 and opened in January 1910. The Parish House was a later addition, built in 1930. The house included a gymnasium , a chapel room , and a library, among other things. As the population began to decline in Detroit, the church moved to the suburbs in Grosse Pointe Woods in 1957 and sold the church to a new St. James Baptist. The Parish House became a city recreation center around the late 1960s or early 70s . The recreation center continued as the church switched denominations again , while the Baptist church moved out in 1992. The Revival Tabernacle Church of Christ took ownership of the church in 2001 and used it until 2005, when the church closed for good. The recreation center continued to be used until 2011 and was then abandoned. The church finally met its fate in 2018 when it was demolished, leaving only the Parish House/ rec center remaining. Today, the Parish House appears to be getting ready for demolition in the next couple of years, as a fence has been put up around the building.
Recollection from the author
This Parish House was a example of something once much bigger. From walking in the first time it was cool to be able to see the gym below as you walked this corridor. The fireplaces in almost every room was also unique to this building and not something you see often. But in my opinion the coolest/strangest thing of the building was the figures on the stage in the gym. It gave a heavy Ruddiman middle school vibe. To the figures in the basement of the long gone Middle School
outside the Parish House with a Mural visible common on abandoned locations in Detroit
walking inside the back of the Parish it is immediately clear this was once a religious building of some sort
also to the side walking into the back a big Gymnasium with a stage is visible
a second overlook is also visible from this angle
a once beautiful archway now decaying
The Front Entrance to the Parish House
from the second overlook the Gymnasium
Water throughout the years has wrapped the woodwork on the floor of the Gym
A decaying writing on the wall
Many rooms inside this Parish had a layout like this with a fireplace and extra space for living
inside the first room we see a brick wall that has seen better days
The Stage has unique graffiti present
Basketball Hoops decayed long past being restored
Walking past the Gym you approach more rooms before finding the small Chapel like area of the Parish house
looking on top of the stage this is what it looks like looking out
Beautiful Ceilings still in great shape
Some pillars have been disturbed and had their original details stolen
The other wall
Looking up to the Balcony
in the corner of the parish chapel room a destroyed piece of the graffiti is present
The other end of the chapel room has cabinets
once beautiful doors still show some class
More Doors leading out of the Chapel
another room with a fireplace
The Views this windows once had would be hard to match
Looking at the doors from earlier we look in to chapel
above the door a shield symbol is present
Looking at the side section of the chapel
another beautiful door leading into the once library
looking into the library
bags line the once library
another fireplace present in the library
another beautiful window in the library
orange paint lines the room
Beautiful granite stairs
up close detail of the ceiling from the balcony
Ceiling details still show there original beauty
looking out to the stage from the balcony
The Windows to the back of the stage show detail not seen in modern buildings
shot of the right side wall from the balcony
shot of the left side wall from the balcony
shot of the stairs looking from the main entrance
in the basement level of the building of
walking out into the floor of the gymnasium
on the stage figures line the stage in graffiti form similar to the once creppy figures of the Ruddiman middle school
Basketball Hoop absolutely destroyed
Wood of the Gymnasium in far disrepair
but lights still hang above the trashed floor
up close shot of the basketball hoop
Creepy Figures
Doors leading to another entrance to the gym
in the basement a mound of junk lines the ground
stairs leading to the 1st floor and the stairs leading to the basement in between a railing separates them