I know little about this church, but it once served a small rural community. It may be challenging to realize that just 135 years ago, locations that are now inside the city of Detroit were hamlets where people supported themselves in agricultural pursuits. Apparently, Charles Lee was among the first settlers in this area, doing so in the early part of the 19th century. A farming community developed around what is now the intersection of Gratiot and Harper. The village—then located within Hamtramck Township—was never incorporated, so it did not have a town hall. It did have a sawmill, a general store and a butcher.
A Methodist Church served the residents of Leesville, but in the early 1870s, some members of the congregation were dissatisfied and started their own small Episcopalian church. This is the small building in the classical church style that you see in the picture. This brick church—now painted white—was designed and built by William Cooper who was, presumably, a resident of this area.
I believe that this remained an active Episcopalian parish until 1966. It is difficult to learn much about this church or much about Leesville. The City of Detroit’s Local Historic District commemorates Leesville but, I presume, there are no other surviving structures other than this church. The University of Michigan’s Bentley Library has about one dozen boxes of records of this parish covering the span from 1885 to 1966, so a dedicated person could trace some of its history.
Builder: William Cooper
Date of Construction: 1874 or 1875
Use in 2006: I am uncertain.
City of Detroit Local Historic District: Listed March 9, 1979
State of Michigan Registry of Historic Places: Not listed
National Registry of Historic Sites: Not listed
Photograph: Andrew Chandler; December, 2004
Description prepared: October, 2006