Kirk in the Hills Address: 1340 W. Long Lake Rd. Built: 1958 Architect: George D. Mason & Company As far back as 1933, Edwin S. George recognized that a house of worship was needed in the area surrounding his home. He established the George Foundation for that very purpose. In 1947, the Kirk in the Hills congregation was established by the Presbytery of Detroit. That same year, Mr. George donated his 41 - acre estate, which is situated on Island Lake. Wirt C. Rowland submitted preliminary designs for a church building pre-World War II. However, Rowland's untimely death in 1946 resulted in changes; the church went with George D. Mason & Company to complete the plans Eugene T. Cleland was the lead architect. The cornerstone for the new building was laid in 1951, the same year Edwin S. George died. His remains are interred under the narthex of the building's sanctuary. Beginning in 1952, services were held in the undercroft during construction until a horrible fire destroyed most of the roof. Following the fire, the parish worshipped at a local high school. More than a decade after forming, Kirk held its first services in the sanctuary on November 23, 1958. The building is modeled after Melrose Abbey in Scotland. In terms of ecclesiastical architecture, it is a towering achievement. Kirk in the Hills also marks the end of an era. It was the last church built in the great Gothic tradition in the United States. Cedarholm was incorporated as the parish house. #MetroDetroit #BloomfieldHills #GothicRevival #Ecclesiastical #TudorRevival #CottageStyle #ArtsandCraftsArchitecture #GeorgeDMason #archi_ologie #PureMichigan #PureMittigan #MotorCityShooters #DepictTheD #VisitDetroit #Michiganders #IGersDetroit #detroit_igers #ThisPlaceMatters #MichiganPlacesMatter (at Kirk in the Hills)
