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Little Stone Church to be restored: Funding awarded for work on Mackinac Island landmark

Workers are shown at Little Stone Church on Mackinac island. For restoration work, the church recently was awarded $34,000 from the Mackinac Island Community Foundation's Richard and Jane Manoogian Fund for the Conservation and Preservation of Open Spaces, the Barbara and Frank Lewand Fund, the Eileen Erwin Croghan Fund for the Preservation of Natural Spaces, the Pompa Fund for the Preservation of Historic Structures and the Wilfred Puttkammer Mackinac Island Conservation Fund. The church is within one of the City of Mackinac Island's Historic Districts and was one of the buildings that helped Mackinac Island gain its status as a National Historic Landmark. The Little Stone Church is a registered Michigan Historic Site and is in the Michigan Stained Glass Register. (Courtesy photo)

MACKINAC CITY– Little Stone Church is a Mackinac Island landmark visited by thousands of tourists annually from all over the world.

The church was recently awarded $34,000 from the Mackinac Island Community Foundation’s Richard and Jane Manoogian Fund for the Conservation and Preservation of Open Spaces, the Barbara and Frank Lewand Fund, the Eileen Erwin Croghan Fund for the Preservation of Natural Spaces, the Pompa Fund for the Preservation of Historic Structures and the Wilfred Puttkammer Mackinac Island Conservation Fund.

Little Stone Church is a stone building that was built in 1904 and is 116 years old. The church is within one of the City of Mackinac Island’s Historic Districts and was one of the buildings that helped Mackinac Island gain its status as a National Historic Landmark. The Little Stone Church is a registered Michigan Historic Site and is in the Michigan Stained Glass Register.

Unlike many “stone” buildings, the stones forming the exterior of the church are not a facade placed over a supporting structure. At Little Stone Church, the exterior stones are the structure of the building. As part of the architectural investigation of the building, engineers cut a hole in the interior wall of the church and found only plaster and lath between the interior plaster wall and the stones. This makes it crucial that the exterior stonework be repaired and preserved, organizers said in a release.

Little Stone Church will allocate this funding toward the restoration of the church’s field stone exterior, building foundation, and flooring joists. The project will also update the electrical system in the building. The total cost of the project is estimated at nearly $300,000. The goal of the project is to repair damage to a historic building and preserve the building for the next hundred years. The construction work is expected to begin this fall and may take a couple of years to complete.

Little Stone Church is a congregational church providing 21 Sunday worship services to people of all faiths from mid-May through early October. The church pastor performs 30 to 40 Christian marriages and vow renewals every summer and the church is frequently used for public gatherings such as poetry readings and musical recitals.

“Many of our church members are second-, third-, or even fourth-generation members. By making these repairs, Little Stone Church hopes to preserve this historic building for generations to come,” said Todd Callewaert, the current moderator/chairman of the church, in a news release. “We are very grateful to the Mackinac Island Community Foundation and the trustees of the five different funds that have chosen to support this project.”

Due to COVID-19, the church members are meeting via zoom.com for Sunday services this summer, but weddings and vow renewals are still being performed by observing proper public health protocols. Wedding information is available at www.littlestonechurch.com or by contacting the wedding coordinator at 906-430-8562 or weddings@littlestonechurch.com.

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