Sacred Heart of Jesus

156 Valley Ave SW

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Many of the Polish men who worked in the gypsum mines along Butterworth Avenue settled nearby in what was then an undeveloped area of the City. Since walking was their main source of transportation, it was too far for their children to walk to St. Adalbert's.  As early as 1897 the need for their own church and school became apparent and in 1903 and a place was chosen somewhat removed from Gunnison Ave -Park St area but next door to the relatively new John Ball Park. Five lots in the McNamara-Richards addition were purchased ^Skendel. This addition was replatted as McKay and Malloy's John Ball Park Plat. 

Although the early Polish immigrants who founded St. Adalbert's had come from the mostly rural portion of German controlled Poland, the later immigrates who founded Sacred Heart came from the more industrialized areas of Austrian-controlled Poland.

After their plans and fund-raising for a new church made headway, these parishioners built Kosciuszko Hall a the corner of Park Street and Lane Avenue. My personal experience

               ^{Sanborn 1913}                 

                                           ^{City Assessor's 1941}

      Bldg 1 the Church

       Bldg 2 the Bungalow

     Bldg #3 the Convent

   Bldg #4 the original church/school with 1919 addition

Rectory

The plans for a school-church combination building were approved on 29 Feb 1904. The architects were Vierheiling and Clark. It was to be of Romanesque style, three stories and basement in height, 57x 72 feet. The basement was to hold the heating apparatus,  toilet rooms and space for a boys' club. The first floor was to have three classrooms and living apartments for the Sisters on the east side of the building. The primary grade classroom was on the southeast and the other two rooms were on the west and southwest.  The second floor would have a chapel and auditorium while the third floor would be a hall with stage. The site embraced a city block excluding five lots. It was ready for occupancy in November 1904. This building faced Valley Ave. ^Skendzel    

 ^Skendzel   Identified as Bldg #4 by City Assessors.

A rectory was begun in September 1905 and completed in February 1906. It was to be a duplicate of the one built at St. Isidore's by architect William G. Robinson who also designed the Castle at 455 Cherry St SE and  Engine House #6. The dimensions were 34 1/2 feet b 40 1/2 feet with stone foundation, brick walls, frame floors and roof, containing ten rooms.^Skendzel

. ^Skendzel Identified as Bldg #5 by City Assessors.

On 17 Sept 1907 a contract was let for a solid sand-brick convent big enough to house twelve sisters. It was designed by Robinson & Campau. Because of economic hard times and the interior  was still unfinished, the sisters moved in. It was not until 1910 that it was completed.  The 37' x 47' two-story  structure with stone foundation, brick walls, and frame floors and roof, contained 13 rooms above the basement. An artesian well was struck which supplied all buildings with sufficient water.^Skendzel

 ^Skendzel   Identified as Bldg # 3 by City Assessor.

 "(Polish immigrants) were displacing the Germans and Dutch little by little who were moving out to be with their own kind."^GRP

 On 19 July, 1913 six additional lots abutting the original parish property were purchased so the parish owned the entire block.^Skendzel

A four-classroom addition was completed in 1919, 26'x 94' containing 2620 sq.ft. Brick walls with terra cotta and cut stone trim on a concrete foundation designed by Harry L. Mead.^{Skendzel Skendzel} I have identified this addition on the Assessor site plan as 1919.

As the student body grew, the second floor needed to be turned into classrooms so a new church was needed and each family was asked to contribute $200.00 each bachelor $100 and each young lady $50. Construction began in May 1920. The church was located at  the corner of Park Street and Garfield Ave in. It was modeled after the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls in Rome. By January 1921, the basement could be used as a temporary church. IT was  completed in1922. ^Skendzel  

  ^Skedzel        Identified as bldg #1 by City Assessor's.

Sacred Heart is basically Romanesque of reddish-buff face brick with Bedford stone and terra cotta trim, closely following  Italian precedent. The roofing is vitrified red tile resting on wooden planks placed on steel trusses. It has reinforced concrete floors with terrazzo surface. The concrete foundations go down an average of eleven feet below the basement floor into solid shale rock. The dimensions are 76' x 156'.^Skendzel  

The interior seats 630 people. Early Christians built their churches in the basilica architectural style which was the Roman Hall of Justice. It is constructed with an arch and post-and-lintel with a flat ceiling. This ceiling is the only one of its kind in out-state Michigan. Unlike the Basilica of St. Adalbert's which was modeled after a Polish Church and named a Basilica for mostly non-architectural reasons, Sacred Heart is architecturally a basilica modeled after a Roman Church. Erhard Brielmaier of Milwaukee, born in Wuertenberg, Germany,  was the architect. He also designed Marywood and Mount Mercy. It was erected under the supervision of a local architect, Harry L. Mead. The seating was manufactured by American Seating.^Skendzel

A temporary Bungalow School with six classrooms and a corridor was constructed. About 1925. 52' x 90', one story, no basement, concrete blocks construction, frame floors and roof. No professional architect. In 1924  vacant lots were purchased across Garfield Avenue for a playground now a parking lot.^Skendzel

Identified as Bldg #2 by City Assessor's.

Italians from near Rome moved into the area. Many of them attended the "English" St. James but after English was introduced in the 1930's many began attending Sacred Heart.^Skendzel

^{Insert 1930 Sanborn here.}

In 1950, the convent was remodeled and enlarged. In 1953 the school was modernized while plans were made for a new school. The parish rectory built in 1905-1906 had to be remodeled.^Skendzel These changes were not documented by City Assessors but are noticeable on the 1953 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. 

^{Sanborn 1953}

In 1957 the parish school was condemned by the State Fire Marshall. An entirely new school was ordered and was designed by Humbrecht Associates, Architects. The new school 18 classrooms, a library, a health and science room, a cafeteria and kitchen and office. It was built on the site of the bungalow school which had served as a temporary school for 32 years. The 1904 school building was transformed whose outer walls were still structurally sound and which was still attached to the 1918 addition, into a gymnasium. The 1905 rectory was enlarged and modernized. This project resulted in a gymnasium, locker-shower rooms, two parlors, two priests' suites, one guest room with bath, housekeeper's quarters, a two-stall garage, and a large basement.^Skendzel These changes were not documented by City Assessors and were too late for the 1953 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.

 All around 2010

2011

The Sacred Heart Building Committee has been working with Cox Medendorp Olson Architects Incorporated and Owens Ames and Kimball to finalize plans for the construction work on the twin towers. Many repairs have been identified to keep our towers upright for another one hundred years. Tasks include erecting scaffolding, repairing beams, replacing roofs, rebuilding walls, replacing brick, tuck pointing, terra cotta repair and much more. Repairing one hundred years of wear and tear from Michigan winters will not be easy.

 

^{GRP 14 May 2011}

^{GRP 16 Jul 2011}

From Article  Catholic See the bibliography on this page.

From Heading Architecture

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Last modified: 08/05/11