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View Full Version : Heritage Center--St. Anne's Church---Calumet, Michigan


Harrison
March 7th, 2008, 2:22 pm
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This place is breathtaking!

Calumet in 1900 was a booming town in the center of Michigan's copper mining industry. The largest company in the region, the mighty Calumet & Hecla operated its works between the villages that became Calumet and Laurium. The mines drew a diverse population, including Cornish and Scots, Finns and Swedes, and French Canadians. Experiencing prosperity in 1900, the village built a grand theatre and French Canadian Catholics built St Anne's Church.

Built in 1900 under the Administration of the Reverend J. R. Boissonault, the French-Canadian Catholic Church was dedicated to St Anne. Designed by the architectural firm of Charlton, Gilbert and Demar, the structure was built of red sandstone from the Jacobsville quarry in the Gothic style with French Gothic ornament generously applied.

To serve the tastes of its French-Canadian parishioners, many of church's details are derived from the flamboyant or rayonnant style of the late Gothic period in France.

The sandstone is cut in square and rectangular shapes, hammer dressed and randomly laid. The stones of the piers, water table and window surrounds are smoothly finished at the edge and hammer dressed toward the center. The stepped lancet arches of the portals show indications of horizontal tooling on the vertical faces of the arch.

Deconsecrated by the Catholic Church in 1966, the church briefly housed a flea market in the 1980's. But it has been vacant or underutilized for more than three decades, and over that time, the structure received no maintenance. Only in the last several years has the Keweenaw Heritage Center reversed this pattern of neglect that threatened one of Calumet's most significant and dominant structures.

Harrison
March 7th, 2008, 2:23 pm
After several years of negotiations, a group of local citizens in 1994 raised the funds necessary for the Charter Township of Calumet to purchase the building formerly called St Anne's Church. Calumet Township now handles the bookkeeping and insurance for the building. The Township has delegated the development and operation of St Anne's to the management board of the Keweenaw Heritage Center at St Anne's. The board is comprised of interested citizens, National Park Representatives and University professors all with ties to a number of community organizations.

The mission of the Keweenaw Heritage Center at St Anne's is to preserve and interpret the culture and heritage of the Copper Country through the preservation of buildings, development of exhibits and other educational activities. Located at the head of downtown Calumet's commercial district, The Keweenaw Heritage Center, formerly St Anne's Church, is a pivotal structure of the Calumet Downtown National Historic Landmark District. The building is being adapted for service as a museum and educational facility. The Center is a cooperating site of the Keweenaw National Historic Park. Other venues are available to understand our geology and mining technologies. The Heritage Center is unique in its plan to highlight the social aspect of mining community life.

Since the purchase of the building, the board has invested almost a half million dollars in stabilization. Approximately 55% of that amount came from private and corporate contributions with the balance from grants. The most visible work to date are the stained glass windows: In 1999 the "American Opalescent" stained glass windows were removed and restored. These treasured stained glass windows proudly display the artistic value and beauty that has long been a part of the life of the Copper Country.

For it's long term stability the Keweenaw Heritage Center has established an endowment fund through the Keweenaw Community Foundation.

As the Keweenaw Heritage Center moves ahead with stabilizing and repairing the former St Anne's church, we also continue to plan for a major, professional quality museum on the structure's first floor. This exhibit will be dedicated to the social history of Calumet and neighboring copper towns.

Harrison
March 7th, 2008, 2:24 pm
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