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Lost house of worship, Wayne State, 1888 to 1926

Temple of the Maccabees

Demolished in 1926

A drawing of Temple of the Maccabees from its recorded size and style. No photo we may share has turned up yet.
Opened
1888
Torn down
1926

Designed by Malcomson & Higginbotham

Temple of the Maccabees stood in Wayne State from 1888 until 1926. Here is what it was, who made it and where to find the spot today.

On the map

Then and now

What stands there now

Today

Macabees Building Detroit, former headquarters of Detroit Public Schools, 2010 Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Maccabees Building

Built 1927, 15 stories, Building

Detroit's Temple of the Maccabees, designed by Malcomson & Higginbotham, stood on this spot for 38 years. In 1927, a year after it came down, the Maccabees Building rose in its place: 15 stories, designed by Albert Kahn. It has now stood 99 years, more than twice as long as the church it replaced.

The Maccabees Building (sometimes called Wayne Tower) is a historic building located at 5057 Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and is currently owned by Wayne State University.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Read the story of the Maccabees Building Walk the block on the map
  1. 1888 Opens Temple of the Maccabees
  2. 1926 Comes down Temple of the Maccabees
  3. 1927 Rises Maccabees Building
  4. 2026 Today Maccabees Building, 99 years on the site
How we know what stands there
  • Rebuild Detroit records Maccabees Building at the same spot (27 m), opened 1927
  • OpenStreetMap Maccabees Building, university building at the map point

Checked October 25, 2026. We never guess: a site no source speaks for shows no answer.

What is there now

Maccabees Building

  • Rose on the site 15 stories, building Source: Rebuild Detroit records and OpenStreetMap
  • Temple of the Maccabees came down Source: Historic Detroit
  • Elevator permit CITY# 488 MACHINE, CONTROLLER,SAFETIES, DOORS (PANELS,PICKUPS AND INTERLOCKS), DOOR OPERATOR, CAB, FIXTURES, NEW COMP RO Source: City and county building permits
See then and now

We checked Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Rebuild Detroit's landmark records and the county parcel records on October 25, 2026.

The story

By Victoria Jackson, Editor in Chief Updated

In 1888, in Detroit's Gilded Age, when stove works, shipyards and railroads made the city's first fortunes, Temple of the Maccabees went up in Wayne State.

The design came from Malcomson & Higginbotham.

It is gone now, demolished in 1926, and the map pin below marks where it stood.

Timeline

  1. 1888 Built Designed by Malcomson & Higginbotham
  2. 1926 Closed
  3. 1926 Demolished
  4. 2026 Elevator permit April 7, 2026
  5. 2026 Today 100 years since it came down

Where it is

5057 Woodward Ave.

On this map

  1. Temple of the Maccabees This place
  2. Maccabees Building 90 ft
  3. Samuel L. Smith House 160 ft
  4. Cultural Center Historic District 440 ft
  5. Detroit Public Library 520 ft
  6. Mackenzie Hall (Webster Hall) 520 ft
  7. Detroit Public Library Main Branch 0.1 mi
  8. Cathedral Church of St. Paul 0.1 mi
  9. Detroit Institute of Arts 0.1 mi

Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors

Who made it

Malcomson & Higginbotham
Photo: Del arte at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Architect

Malcomson & Higginbotham

American architectural firm based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Designed St. Joseph's Episcopal Church (1883) and 51 more in Metro Detroit

Also by Malcomson & Higginbotham

More from Detroit in the 1880s

Around the block

It is in Wayne State. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.

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.