House of worship, Lafayette Park, since 1873
St. Joseph Shrine
Standing and open
- Opened
- 1873
- Style
- Gothic Revival
- Standing
- 153 years
Designed by Francis Himpler
St. Joseph Shrine has stood on Jay St.. in Lafayette Park since 1873, 153 years and counting. Who built it, what makes it special and how to see it for yourself.
What is there now
Standing and open
We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 25, 2026. Nothing new at this address in the last two years.
The story
In 1873, as Detroit's lumber, stove and shipbuilding money went into brick and stone, St. Joseph Shrine opened in Lafayette Park.
Credit the design to Francis Himpler, in the Gothic Revival style.
It is still open, and still part of daily life in the city.
Go see it at 1828 Jay St.. Photos never get the scale right.
Timeline
- 1873 Built Designed by Francis Himpler
- 2026 Today 153 years and still standing
Where it is
1828 Jay St..
On this map
- 1 St. Joseph Shrine This place
- 2 Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Parish Complex (Boundary Increase) 40 ft
- 3 St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church 80 ft
- 4 Antietam Avenue Bridge 270 ft
- 5 Chestnut Street-Grand Trunk Railroad 490 ft
- 6 Koenig Coal & Supply Co. Building 0.1 mi
- 7 Wisner Confectionary Building 0.2 mi
- 8 Frontera & Son 0.2 mi
- 9 St. John's-St. Luke's Evangelical Church 0.2 mi
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
More from Detroit in the 1870s
-
Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Monument, built 1872, Classic Revival
Photo: JJonahJackalope, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
St. John's-St. Luke's Evangelical Church
House of worship, built 1872, Late Victorian
Photo: Andrew Jameson at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Convent and Rectory
House of worship, built 1875, Italianate
Photo: Andrew Jameson at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
House of worship, built 1870, Late Gothic Revival, by Donaldson & Meier
Photo: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Water Works Park Tower
Structure, built 1876, Victorian, by Joseph E. Sparks, demolished 1945
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Capitol Park Historic District
Historic district, built 1877
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around the block
It is in Lafayette Park. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.
- Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Parish Complex (Boundary Increase) Building 40 ft
-
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
House of worship, built 1870, Late Gothic Revival, by Donaldson & Meier
Photo: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
80 ft
-
Antietam Avenue Bridge
Structure, built 1930, demolished 2008
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
270 ft
-
Chestnut Street-Grand Trunk Railroad
Structure, built 1929, by Grand Trunk Western Railroad
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
490 ft
- Koenig Coal & Supply Co. Building Building, built 1911, Art Deco 0.1 mi
- Wisner Confectionary Building Building, built 1931, Art Deco, by H. Lawrence Levander 0.2 mi
- Frontera & Son Building, built 1900, demolished 0.2 mi
-
St. John's-St. Luke's Evangelical Church
House of worship, built 1872, Late Victorian
Photo: Andrew Jameson at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.2 mi
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.