All Saints’ Episcopal Church is a particularly well-preserved example of the board-and-batten, “carpenter-gothic,” or Gothic Revival church of the nineteenth century. The structure is also important as a work of Midwest architect Gordon W. Lloyd, who specialized in church architecture. All Saints was listed in the Michigan State Register of Historic Sites on April 24, 1981, and in the National Register of Historic Places Inventory on December 27, 1984.
The road to those historic designations began when the parish was incorporated in 1869 and the first rector, the Rev. J. Rice Taylor, traveled as far as the East coast to raise funds to build the church. The lot where All Saints now stands was purchased in 1868 for $400. Saugatuck was a center of lumber mills and plans moved ahead to build a church using these resources. Gordon W. Lloyd, an Englishman and architect living in Detroit, who was familiar with Anglican traditions, was contracted to design a church in the gothic revival style. The original structure consisted of a small narthex/vestibule, nave, sanctuary, organ chamber, and bell tower at a cost of $5,000. The first service was held in an unfurnished sanctuary on January 25, 1873. The women of the parish dedicated themselves to raising the funds to furnish the church, which was completed in 1875.
For more on the history of the buildings, the current organ, the stained glass windows, and much more, click on the link below.
For a PDF Document containing the history of the All Saints’ Episcopal Parish, please click here.
