§ The Hope Chapel was originally known as the Hope United Methodist Church of Disco, Michigan. It was located on the west side of Van Dyke north of 24 Mile road. The Hamlet of Disco was platted in 1849. In 1850 the Disco Academy was built on the southwest corner of Van Dyke and 24 Mile Road.
§ Preserving the historic buildings that exist in our Township has always been a top priority of the Shelby Township Historical Committee. In August of 1997, the Committee learned that The Hope United Methodist Church members decided to build a new church. The Historical Committee recognized the significance of the old building and wanted to preserve it if possible. The Church agreed to donate the building to Shelby Township if it could be moved off their property located near 24 Mile Road and Van Dyke.
§ Our Township officials, Historical Committee members and volunteers went to work to devise a plan to save the historic 1890 building. Thanks to the support of Township officials and others who donated time money and effort, the building was finally moved to the Township grounds in June of 2001.
§ Moving the building to its new location was only the first step of many in the process of restoring this structure. The goal of the Township is to restore the buildings appearance to the period of about 1900. However, the entire structure must be updated to the latest building codes. The building will be strengthened where needed. The roof and steeple will be repaired. Electrical, heating and plumbing will be revised. New restrooms will be added to the rear of the building.
§ When the restoration is completed, the building will become an activity center for the community. It will be available for use as a rented chapel for weddings or other suitable social events. The building now renamed The Hope Chapel will continue to serve our community.
History from 1830:
The intersection of 24 Mile road (Whiskey Road) and Van Dyke was once the unincorporated village of Disco, Michigan. In 1830 the farmers who settled this area from New York referred to it as "Utica Plains." By the late 1840s they wanted a higher education facility similar to the Romeo Institute or the Rochester Academy. In 1849, the same year the village of Disco was platted, ten acres of land was donated toward the creation of the Mutual Literary Institute. It was renamed the Disco Academy in 1855.
Religious groups used the larger of the two buildings. The lower floor was used by the school trustees; the upper floor by the Methodists who organized in 1863, and later by the Congregationalists.
1890, The congregation of The Methodist Protestant Church continued to grow and the upper floor of the Disco Academy was not large enough to contain the flock. The church appointed a building committee and on September 13, construction started on a new church building at a cost of $1,300. The land, later known as the Metz farm was donated by Mrs. Flora Keeler. Floras parents were Mr. And Mrs. S. Preston of Prestonville. Pastor Wilber S. Ostrander, of the Disco Methodist Protestant Church, formally dedicated the new church building on December 20, 1890.
1921, Electricity is installed. The electrical lines in the Utica-Disco area were installed in the early 1900s and operated by a number of small electrical companies. In 1916 the small electrical companies were consolidated with the Edison Illuminating Company. It took five more years before the church was wired.
1927, The building is raised and repositioned on a basement. A new coal furnace is added to heat the building. Previously, a pot bellied stove, placed at the front of the church where the organ used to sit, was used to heat the building. The new basement was used for Sunday school classes and social meetings.
1962, A new 15 x 28 foot addition was added to the back of the church. The addition consisted of an all purpose room for social affairs or Sunday school, and rest rooms. Church members had used outdoor facilities until this time.
1979, The name of the church was changed from the Disco Methodist Protestant Church to Hope United Methodist Church. By this time the word disco had taken on new meaning and most people in the area were not aware that the Village of Disco existed here and was the reason for the churchs name.
1980, The old house that sat on the south side of the church was demolished for more parking spaces. The house was probably first used as a parsonage around 1895 after it was purchased from the Keeler/Cameron family. When Rev Simpson (1969-1973) was appointed to the Disco Church, he would not take the appointment unless the church supplied better living accommodations for him and his family, so the present parsonage was purchased.
2002, Volunteers are needed to complete the restoration of the building. If you have services to offer, please contact the Shelby Township Supervisors office.
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