Kirk in the Hills

Kirk in the Hills ( Kirk: Old English for " church ") is a Presbyterian church, which was founded in 1947 in Bloomfield Township. The church building was designed by architects George D. Mason and host Rowland and built from 1951 to 1958. In the so-called " Apostles tower" ( " Tower of the Apostles " ) is since 1960 the world's largest ( by number of bells) Carillon. The 77 bells that range in size from a drone with a diameter of 208 cm and a weight of six tons to the smallest bell with a diameter of 15 cm and a weight of 6.35 kg were from the family of industrialist Roy A. Fruehauf donated, the owner of one of the largest tractor manufacturers (see also: Ackermann vehicle ). The five largest bells are named after members of the family: Roy, Ruth, Royce, Randall and Ruth Ann. The organ was donated by Fruehauf, after a fire at the site destroyed the previous organ, two years before completion of the church. Shortly before his death in 1965 Fruehauf donated more money for the church and the construction of outbuildings, the community hall etc. The building stands on a 15 -acre plot with gardens on the edge of a lake and is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Michigan dar. As a model Melrose Abbey served in Scotland.

The architectural decoration of the church consists of sculptures by some of the leading architectural sculptors of that time, as Lee Lawrie, Corrado Parducci and John Angel and the stonemason Harry Liva. Inside Tile by Pewabic Pottery were used. In the gardens there are also sculptures by Marshall Fredericks.