Kirk in the Hills
Kirk in the Hills (Kirk: Old English for "church") is a Presbyterian church that was founded in Bloomfield Township in 1947 . The church building was designed by architects George D. Mason and Wirt Rowland and built from 1951 to 1958. The so-called "Tower of the Apostles" has been home to the world's largest carillon (by number of bells) since 1960 . The 77 bells, ranging in size from a drone with a diameter of 208 cm and a weight of six tons to the smallest bell with a diameter of 15 cm and a weight of 6.35 kg, were made by the family of the industrialist Roy A. Fruehauf donated to the owner of one of the largest semitrailer manufacturers (see also: Ackermann Fahrzeugbau ). The five largest bells are named after members of the family: Roy, Ruth, Royce, Randall, and Ruth Ann. The organ was also donated by Fruehauf after a fire at the construction site two years before the church was completed, the previous organ was destroyed. Shortly before his death in 1965, Fruehauf donated additional money for the church and the construction of outbuildings, the community hall, etc. The building stands on 15 hectares with gardens on the edge of a lake and is one of the best examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Michigan . Melrose Abbey in Scotland served as a model .
The church's architectural decoration consists of sculptures by some of the leading architectural sculptors of the time, such as Lee Lawrie , Corrado Parducci and John Angel, as well as the stonecutter Harry Liva . Ceramic tiles from Pewabic Pottery were used in the interior . There are also sculptures by Marshall Fredericks in the gardens .
literature
- Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, Architectural Sculpture of America , unpublished manuscript
- Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin CP McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon AIA: Detroit Architecture AIA Guide Revised Edition . Wayne State University Press, 1980, ISBN 0-8143-1651-4 .
- Matuz, Roger: Albert Kahn, Architect of Detroit . Wayne State University Press, 2001, ISBN 0814329578 .
- Tutag, Nola Huse with Lucy Hamilton: Discovering Stained Glass in Detroit . Wayne State University Press, 1988, ISBN 0-8143-1875-4 .
Web links
Coordinates: 42 ° 34'53 " N , 83 ° 17'40.9" W.