Built in 1840 by Irish immigrants, this white clapboard church is believed to be the oldest existing frame Catholic church building in the Lower Peninsula. The area was one of the earliest in Michigan settled by Irish immigrants, who arrived during the 1830s. The parish was organized in 1839 with about thirty members, and its numbers increased after the potato famine of 1845 in Ireland forced thousands more to the United States. After the congregation outgrew the tiny structure by the 1880s, members traveled to Pontiac, Milford, and other areas until about 1950, when a permanent parish was established in Union Lake. With its original floors, walls, and windows still intact, the building remains in ceremonial use, and the surrounding neighborhood is known today as the Dublin area.