Royal Oak Methodist Episcopal Church

Royal Oak’s first organized church was the Methodist Episcopal congregation, established in 1838. Five years later, its members built a wood-frame church on this site. In 1894, that frame church was replaced with one built of bricks manufactured and donated by Edwin A. Starr. By 1915, a new church was needed to accommodate the growing membership. Designed by Detroit architect and Methodist William E. N. Hunter, who planned many Protestant churches, the new Collegiate Gothic-style church was praised on May 3, 1918, by the Royal Oak Tribune as, “architecturally and artistically,” “the achievement of a master mind.” The building is now known as First United Methodist Church, and an education wing was added in 1928.

Royal Oak, Michigan · United States