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by Tammy Sandeen

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Parents, educators, and history buffs are often searching for hidden treasures and Detroit is full of them. The city has fallen on hard times but it still holds many wonderful reasons to take a look around. From old buildings with historic architecture to newly built stadiums, there is something for every taste.

Detroit has some of the best historic churches in the area. The parish of Saint Anne is the second oldest Catholic parish with a continuous record in the United States. It was started in 1701. It has a great written record for a researcher that dates back to 1704. A Detroit historic figure that is buried with in the church is Father Richard. He not only devoted himself to the church but also to public education.

Several other churches are worth a visit. St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the finest examples of the Gothic Revival architecture. The Fort Street Presbyterian church was designed in the Victorian Gothic style and today it is a wonderfully detailed site.

Gordon Lightfoot brought a historic chapel to the public eye with the song The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. The Mariner's Church sits on the shores of the Detroit River. It has served the sailors of the Great Lakes since 1849. The upper floor is dedicated to the religious needs while the lower floor is used to bring in monies to keep the church going.

If churches are not your thing, there is plenty of manufacturing history in and around Detroit. Edsel and Eleanor Ford have a 27 acre estate that show case their love of art and architecture. It is now a museum but the 60-room mansion was once a grand home to the then president of Ford Motor Company.

Pewabic Pottery was built in 1907 for ceramic artist Mary Chase Perry. Mary Perry made wonderful tiles that can be seen though out Detroit's historic buildings. Her husband, William Stratton and his partner, Frank Baldwin were two of the most influential architects in Detroit during the early twentieth century. Their combined talents can be seen in the Detroit Institute of Art and the Guardian building. Both of which you can add to your look around the area.

There are whole districts that are worth a visit. Greek Town offers a wonderful mix of cultures and times. German immigrants set up the area in 1830s. In the early part of the 1900s, newly arrived Greek immigrants moved into the neighborhood and established businesses.

The Easter Market District was the center of German culture for the longest time before being found by all the area cultures.

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