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House of worship, Detroit, since 1863

Christ Church

Photographed standing in 2008

Christ Church, Detroit MI from across Jefferson Ave Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Opened
1863
Style
Gothic Revival
Standing
163 years

Designed by Gordon W. Lloyd

Christ Church has stood on E. Jefferson Ave. in Detroit since 1863, 163 years and counting. Who built it, what makes it special and how to see it for yourself.

On the map

More photos of Christ Church

The landmark St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church, on Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, 2008 Photo: Umdet, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Christ Church Detroit, 1934 Photo: S. Lucas, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Christ Church on Jefferson in Detroit, Michigan, 1899 Photo: Silas Farmer, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What is there now

Under renovation

  • Standing and open Source: Historic Detroit

Building permits at this address

7 permits since October 2025

$59,682 in declared work (2 of 7 name a figure) Newest: Generator permit, April 21, 2026

  1. Generator permit

    100KW Generator for church

  2. Alteration permit

    Install Rooftop Solar Panel System per plans. Subject to Field Approval. Separate Trade Permit required.

    $51,882

  3. Electrical permit

    Installation of a 35.26 kW DC Solar PV system.

  4. Mechanical permit

    Gas pressure test

  5. Plumbing permit

    1 Floor drains 1 drain 1 indirect waste receptacles 1 interceptors 1 lav 2 sinks 1 stack 1 water... Read all

    1 Floor drains 1 drain 1 indirect waste receptacles 1 interceptors 1 lav 2 sinks 1 stack 1 water distribution 1 water cl

  6. Alteration permit

    Alterations to existing Fire Alarm System to Code per plans. Subject to Field Approval.

    $7,800

  7. Fire alarm permit

    Install the module to monitor the newly installed Ansul system and relocate the existing device.

Source: City and county building permits

We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 25, 2026.

The story

By Victoria Jackson, Editor in Chief Updated

Christ Church opened in 1863, as Detroit's lumber, stove and shipbuilding money went into brick and stone.

The design came from Gordon W. Lloyd, working in Gothic Revival.

It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

It is still open, and still part of daily life in the city.

Go see it at 960 E. Jefferson Ave. Photos never get the scale right.

Christ Church Detroit is an Episcopal church located at 960 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It is also known as Old Christ Church, Detroit. It is the oldest Protestant church in Michigan still located on its original site.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Timeline

  1. 1863 Built Designed by Gordon W. Lloyd
  2. 1971 Listed on the National Register March 11, 1971
  3. 2025 3 building permits $7,800 in declared work, the latest December 19
  4. 2026 4 building permits $51,882 in declared work, the latest April 21
  5. 2026 Today Under renovation

Where it is

960 E. Jefferson Ave.

On this map

  1. Christ Church This place
  2. Sibley House 70 ft
  3. Thomas A. Parker House 170 ft
  4. The Palms 310 ft
  5. Palms Apartment House 430 ft
  6. Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church (second) 0.1 mi
  7. Charles Trowbridge House 0.1 mi
  8. Father Dowling Hall 0.1 mi
  9. The Trowbridge House 0.1 mi

Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors

Who made it

Central United Methodist Church, by Gordon W. Lloyd Central United Methodist Church, by Gordon W. Lloyd. Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Architect

Gordon W. Lloyd

English-American architect, 1832 to 1904. Designed Christ Church (1863) and 17 more in Metro Detroit

Also by Gordon W. Lloyd

More from Detroit in the 1860s

Around the block

Photo credits

Every photo on this page is used under its license, named here with its author and a link to the original.

  1. Christ Church, Detroit MI from across Jefferson Ave Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  2. The landmark St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church, on Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, 2008 Photo: Umdet, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  3. Christ Church Detroit, 1934 Photo: S. Lucas, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  4. Christ Church on Jefferson in Detroit, Michigan, 1899 Photo: Silas Farmer, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.