St. James Episcopal Church

One of the most beautiful buildings in the Sault is the St. James Episcopal Church on Bingham Street. These pictures do not do it justice. I was focusing on the gardens when I took these pictures. The gardens are spectacular all summer. I don't know who maintains them but the gardens are certainly worth a visit.
There is a great description of the church on Hunt's Guide to the Upper Peninsula. This building is a significant architectural building. We attended a concert there where Bob Aldrich gave us a brief history of the church and its beautiful stained glass windows.
The tower contains a carillon. I was able to visit it in 1968 with a classmate who was learning to play it. It still operates daily and I enjoy listening while visiting my parents over on Hursley Street.

My daughter and I have made a hobby out of researching the architecture of the Sault. I wrote to Michigan architectural historian Kathryn Eckert who wrote Buildings of Michigan and asked her why there are so many stunning buildings in such a small town as Sault Ste. Marie. Eckert responded that at the turn of the century (1900) the logging industry was in full force. This meant there was lots of money in Sault Ste. Marie and that is reflected in the public buildings and private residences that were built during that time.

I would someday like to put together a tour of these architectural significant buildings in the Soo.