Our Lady of Aglona

507 Broadway Ave NW

Latvian Apostolate/Our Lady of Aglona, Grand Rapids

^Ancona

507 Broadway 

Organized 1951 as Latvian Apostolate at 307 LaGrave Ave 1951-1956^GRACH which was behind St. Andrews gymnasium.

Located at 348 Mount Vernon Ave 1956-1961^GRACH

^Ancona

348 Mt Vernon Av NW    

surveyed 1856 former (American Indian) Mission Reserve

                                                                                          ^{Sanborn 1953}     

I was very disappointed by the City Assessor Records for the original church. The 1936 WPA Property Card is missing.
The 1951 City Directory identifies this address as St. John's Evangelical and Reform Church. I'm guessing it was German but that's just a guess. So I looked it up in the book Gathered at the River and learned it was organized in 1880 as St. John's German Evangelical then as St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church. Located at 348 Mt Vernon 1881-1956. Church built 1883. Moved to 1934 Bridge St NW and is now known as St. John United Church of Christ. ^GRACH

  ^CA

City Assessor records were much better for their second church and adjoining rectory which was the Swedish Lutheran Church in 1936.

Panfil's Assessor's Plat No. 27 1938

An assessor's plat is after-the-fact. Someone purchased or squatted on unplatted land until it became so congested, the City Assessor surveyed what was there so it made some sense.

  ^{CA  CA}

A photo from the rear and floor plan.

The rectory is described as a wood-frame, common brick exterior walls, wood double-hung windows, pitch and gravel roof, 55x90 with 4950 sq. ft. , 2-story  mercantile and a boarding house owned by the Mission Church.

    ^CA

Rectory and floor plan

The legal  land description indicates that this land was purchased before it was platted.

The 1951 notes state Apartments, wood frame average construction, brick veneer, plain trim, tar and gravel roof, stone foundation, full basement with cement floor, pine trim, pine floor, plaster walls, oil stove 2nd floor, gas hot air, four baths, no fireplaces, 11 rooms on the first floor, 11 rooms on the second floor, built 1895, no garage, Mission Covenant Church Annex, Sunday School rooms and 1 apt for janitor.

Personal:     Many of my fellow students and teachers at Central High School  were refugees from Latvia forced out of their homes by the Communists. They spoke Latvian in the halls. Some of them wore parts of their native costumes and the girls wore their hair braided in a circle around their head. After public school was over they had to go to Latvian school where they were taught their language, their history and their culture.

Mr. Ancona states that many of the immigrants began to arrive in Grand Rapids in 1949. Our Lady of Aglona was established in March 1951. They purchased a small church of their own in September 1954. When that was razed due to US131, they purchased a church just west of St. Marys. (Which I thought was very odd. Two Catholic churches right next door to each other). The Congregation was very small and when their priest Fr. Matiss died there was no one to replace him on a permanent basis.

                 ^{Sanborn 1953}

                  This building was originally Swedish Mission 1880-1964. This church relocated as Evangelical Covenant Church of Grand Rapids at 1933 Tremont Blvd NW. ^GRACH  

All around in 2010

^MapQuest

Broadway Avenue:    Go right to left                                                       start here                                                                             

                                     
corner of First                                  Rectory                 Walkway                Church

First Street:

Rear of the properties:

Fire

Bishop Hurley celebrated Mass for the Latvian Catholic Community at Ss. Peter & Paul Church,
Sunday, June 26.^{Diocese website}

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Last modified: 08/05/11