Historic Detroit

Every building in Detroit has a story — we're here to share it

Assumption Grotto Church

Assumption Grotto Church, also known as the "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church" was built 1928-1929 in a Gothic Revival style, with a beautiful limestone exterior. The cornerstone reads A.D. 1929.

The church was dedicated on September 22, 1929, just in time before the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. The floorplan is in the shape of a Latin cross with shortened transepts. Its front façade features three windows and three entrances.

The beautiful interior reflects a Neo-Gothic style with various English and French influences. The elaborate wooden ceiling, as in St. Mary of Redford Church, evokes the hull of Noah's ark.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Complex consists of multiple structures: the church, a convent, a rectory, a cemetery, and the grotto with a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and its own outdoor altar made of granite. The grotto was completed in 1881, made of imported limestone and massive boulders that were brought to the site by farmers from across Michigan state.