Howard and Ste. Anne Sts., Detroit, Michigan. County/parish: Wayne.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places June 03, 1976. NRIS 76001040.
5 contributing buildings.Also known as:
Basilica of Sainte Anne de Détroit (French: Basilique Sainte-Anne de Détroit) is located at 1000 St. Anne Street in Detroit, Michigan and serves the needs of Ste. Anne Parish. The parish founded by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and 100 French colonists of New France on July 26, 1701, is recognized as the second-oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States. The Gothic Revival cathedral-styled basilica was designed by Albert E. French.
The basilica gained national recognition with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In a notable honor, Pope Francis designated the church as a minor basilica on March 1, 2020, marking it as the 86th minor basilica in the United States and the third in Michigan.
The main entrance opens onto a plaza, lined with trees and paved with brick. The structure's flying buttresses and facade's main entrance are guarded by four gargoyles. Notably, the basilica has the oldest stained glass in the City of Detroit.
A side chapel attached to the basilica houses relics. The high altar from the 1818 stone church is accompanied by the tomb of Gabriel Richard. Other artifacts preserved in the basilica from the 1818 stone church include the ornate communion rail, the statue of Ste. Anne, and the Beaubien Bell.
In 2025, ownership of the basilica transferred to The Catholic Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to its restoration and preservation.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/25340974