DETROIT – Wednesday's wind gusts, which reached 70 miles per hour in some areas, bent the top of the steeple on the Fort Street Presbyterian Church in Detroit.
Update: Repairs to historic Fort Street Presbyterian Church in Detroit expected to start Jan. 30
The church has stood at what is now the corner of 3rd and Fort streets since 1855, according to Historic Detroit.
The present structure was completed in 1855 and the name was changed to Fort Street Presbyterian Church. It is one of America’s finest examples of the Gothic Revival architecture of that period. It was constructed of limestone from the quarries at Malden, Ontario. The building is on the state and national historic registers ... The church’s slate roof was replaced in August and September 2013. -- Historic Detroit
Pastor Robert Agnew told Local 4 the church is concerned the turret may have been moved by the high winds, too. There are barricades along the sidewalk outside the church to prevent people from walking near it.
Someone will have to go up into the steeple to assess the damage.
An undated photo of the church -- BURTON HISTORICAL COLLECTION, DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY -- Historic Detroit
Repairs made to St. Josaphat's iconic church steeple damaged by winds
You may recall back in 2014 Detroit was hit by a wind storm which damaged the iconic steeple of St. Josaphat Catholic Church. These steeples have withstood the test of time, but Mother Nature has a way of prevailing after a century.
Here is Local 4's Roger Weber's report from May 2014 below. Roger went up into the steeple to see the repair work: