Kirk in the Hills

Kirk in the Hills is a Presbyterian church built between 1951 and 1958. It was the vision of Colonel Edwin S. George, who donated his country estate, Cedarholm, to make the Kirk possible. The building's cornerstone was laid in 1951, but a disastrous fire occurred during construction and the Kirk was not used for services until 1958. Kirk in the Hills is designed in the Gothic style, and was patterned after Melrose Abbey in Scotland. Architect Wirt Rowland drew the preliminary designs for the Kirk but died in 1946, before construction began. The Kirk was completed by the Detroit architecture firm of George D. Mason. The structure includes the Tower of the Apostles, which contains a 77-bell carillon.

Col. Edwin S. George, who made a fortune in Detroit in the fur industry, donated his Bloomfield Township estate, Cedarholm, to the Presbytery of Detroit in 1947. A congregation was formed and worshipped in George's manor house on the property while construction of a new church building was underway. Ground was broken for the new edifice on September 24, 1948. The new building, patterned after Melrose Abbey in Scotland, was named Kirk in the Hills (kirk being the Scottish word for church).

Col. George died in 1951, while construction of the building was underway, and his remains were entombed beneath the building's narthex.

The walls of the Kirk are of Indiana limestone, and the floors are Italian marble. Several noted architectural sculptors, including Corrado Parducci, contributed decorative art elements to the building. The models for the statues of the twelve apostles that stand on the second level of the tower were the work of Col. George's friend, George Gould Ross, who was a member of the faculty at the University of Michigan's school of architecture. The seven statues around the entrance doors are the work of sculptor John Angel.

The cornerstone of the building was laid on September 23, 1951, and the first stone for the great nave was delivered on February 10, 1955.

On June 14, 1957, a devastating fire heavily damaged the building and delayed the completion of construction. Lightning was believed to have ignited the blaze, which started in the ceiling where English oak panels were being installed. Firefighters from six departments fought the blaze. After the damaged interior was rebuilt, the Kirk was finally dedicated on November 23, 1958.

In 1960, the congregation dedicated a 77-bell carillon in the Tower of the Apostles. At the time of its dedication, the carillon was the largest cast bell carillon in the world. The bells were manufactured in Holland, and the largest was nearly seven feet in diameter, while the smallest was six inches in diameter.

"Presbytery Accepts Gift of $1,500,000," Detroit Free Press, May 15, 1947, p.13.

Fuller, Adrian. "Big Estate Donated by City Industrialist," Detroit Free Press, October 10, 1948, Graphic Section, p.2.

"Turn Sod on Sunday for Kirk in the Hills," Detroit News, September 4, 1948, p.8.

"Col. Edwin S. George, Philanthropist, Dies," Detroit Free Press, January 26, 1951, p.11.

"Lay Kirk-in-the-Hills Cornerstone Sunday," Detroit Free Press, September 22, 1951, p.8.

Winge, Ed. "Hundreds Help Fight Fire Sweeping Kirk-in-Hills," Detroit Free Press, June 14, 1957, p.1.

Day, Jean. "Kirk Fire Damage May Hit $1 Million," Birmingham Eccentric, June 20, 1957, p.1.

"Kirk in the Hills—Massive Beauty," Detroit Times, November 22, 1958, p.6.

"Kirk in the Hills to Open Sunday," Detroit Free Press, November 22, 1958, p.8.

"Dedication Rites Jam Kirk-in-the-Hills, Detroit Free Press, November 24, 1958, p.14.

Sullivan, Jerry. "To Know God Through Beauty," Detroit News Sunday Pictorial, November 30, 1958.

"Dedicate Largest Carillon at Kirk," Detroit Times, May 14, 1960, p.7.

"Kirk in the Hills Will Dedicate Largest Bell Set," Detroit Free Press, May 14, 1960, p.9.

Ross, George Gould. The Twelve Apostles At the Kirk In the Hills, Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Bloomfield, Mich.: Bloomfield Township, 1953. 

Edwin S. George Foundation. Twenty Year Report, 1935-1955. , 1955.