Germans were among the first settlers in what is now known as the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, with an ethnic community being formed as early as the 1840s. This community built Saint Stephen's as a symbol of their prosperity and strength. Even as the effects of assimilation and suburbanization resulted in the disappearance of the German community following World War II, the monumental and elegant interior of the church remains a reminder of the neighborhood's earliest residents. With nearly every piece of wooden craftsmanship in the church having been prepared in Germany, it is no surprise that the statuary displays Germanic physical characteristics - the most noticeable being the blond-haired representations of Mary. | Date: January 12, 1987 | Source: Photograph courtesy of Cleveland State University Special CollectionsDownload Original File
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Photograph courtesy of Cleveland State University Special Collections
