Last week we continued with the story of St. Ambrose Parish with a feature on the parochial school that was designed by Donaldson and Meier. The school opened in 1920, with 650 grade school students, a high school was added in 1923. The building was razed in 1983. Prior to our piece about the school, we had also recently featured the history of St. Ambrose Church, completed in 1927, it was also designed by Donaldson and Meier. In 1964, St. Ambrose parish hired architectural firm Diehl and Diehl to design a new grade school.

This week we feature another historic parish, St. Clare, as we explore its church and school. The origins of St Clare parish date back to 1923, when Father James A. McDonald, pastor of St. Augustine Church in Hamtramck, was…

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Last week we explored the lost estate, Deeplands in Grosse Pointe Shores, completed for Henry D. Shelden in 1911. Originally located at 525 Lake Shore and set on a colossal 80 acres, it was one of the largest estates to have ever graced Grosse Pointe. Deeplands was razed in 1947.

This week we continue with the story of St. Ambrose Parish. We recently featured the history of St. Ambrose Church, completed in 1927, having been designed by Detroit based firm Donaldson and Meier – one of several buildings constructed by the firm for St. Ambrose Parish during the twentieth century. You can read the full story of the church by clicking here.

St. Ambrose church was established on September 16, 1916, as a Catholic parish community by Bishop John Foley.…

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Last week we presented the work of a rather special architect, Wallace Frost. During his career he designed 44 homes in and around Birmingham, Michigan. However, despite working predominantly on the west side of Metro Detroit he also designed at least nine homes in Grosse Pointe that spanned several architectural styles and decades – 1920’s through to the 1950’s.

This week we tell the story of a lost estate, Deeplands in Grosse Pointe Shores. Originally located at 525 Lake Shore, and set on a colossal 80 acres, it was one of the largest estates to have ever graced Grosse Pointe.

Deeplands was completed in 1911, for Detroit industrialist Henry Dusenbury Shelden, and his wife Caroline A. Alger. It was an opulent mansion designed by Chicago based…

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Last week we presented the history of St. Ambrose Church, located at 15020 Hampton Rd, Grosse Pointe Park. The church was completed in 1927, having been designed by Detroit based firm Donaldson and Meier – one of several buildings constructed by the firm for St. Ambrose Parish.

This week we turn our attention to a rather special architect, Wallace Frost. During his career he designed 44 homes in and around Birmingham, Michigan. However, despite working predominantly on the west side of Metro Detroit he also designed at least nine homes in Grosse Pointe that spanned several architectural styles and decades – 1920’s through to the 1950’s. His projects include:

  •        16632 E. Jefferson (1926)
  •        42 Hendrie Lane (1926)
  •        41…

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Last week we concluded our presentation on Grosse Pointe Memorial Church with a more in depth look at the design of the church, including the work of the world-renowned artists who created the stained-glass windows and wood carvings. 

This week we present the history of another prominent church in Grosse Pointe, St. Ambrose, located at 15020 Hampton Rd, Grosse Pointe Park. The church was completed in 1927, having been designed by Detroit based firm Donaldson and Meier – one of several buildings constructed by the firm for St. Ambrose Parish. 

St. Ambrose Church was established on September 16, 1916, as a Catholic Parish by Bishop John Foley. At the time a small church, located at Maryland and Hampton Avenues, was constructed to house the few…

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