Photographer explores inside abandoned Detroit church

AT one point in time this neglected church was the heartbeat of its local community

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The church was constructed in 1925 and included facilities such as a bowling alley and swimming pool

The Woods Cathedral Church of God in Christ or as it’s locally known, Visitation Catholic Church, is located in Detroit, Michigan.

Built in 1925 the church was regarded as one of the biggest places of worship in the city during the early 20th century, boasting an array of facilities including a bowling alley and six-lane Olympic swimming pool.

Intrepid photographer, Ioanna Sakellaraki, 26, managed to snap inside the abandoned church on her tour of Detroit and its neglected landmarks.

In its early years the building was seen as a beacon for the local community

She said: “I had heard about the Woods Cathedral before visiting and together with the Presbyterian Church of Detroit which is also abandoned, it was one of the main places of religion which gradually declined in the city that I wanted to visit.”

Abandoned buildings have become a common feature on the Detroit skyline as the city has struggled financially as a result of loss of industry and the global recession.

During the early years, the church had a thriving congregation and by the 1950s served more than 3,500 families.

At its height the church had at least 3,500 families that attended its services

By the end of the decade however Detroit saw an influx of African Americans - known as the Great Migration - and many black families from America’s southern states uprooted to the city for a better way of life.

Suffering from extreme racism and persecution many African American families arrived in Detroit from the racially segregated south as its thriving auto industry offered employment and hope.

By the end of the 50's the congregation numbers started to decline due to an influx of African-Americans

As the number of black families in the area grew the opposite can be said of the white families in Detroit whose numbers dramatically decreased.

Known as ‘white flight’ this mass exodus saw many white families move out of the city in the hopes of creating more racially homogenous communities.

As more of the church’s congregation moved out of the city and membership declined many of the building’s facilities were left neglected.

As the congregation numbers went down so did the maintenance and upkeep of the church

Ioanna said: “Visitation Catholic Church began to decline in the 1960’s as membership to the church decreased due to white flight.

"With declining numbers many of the facilities were underused. Visitation Catholic Church spent many years under the fiscal microscope, and only stayed open due to the efforts of its leaders and small congregation.”

In 2008 the church closed its doors for the final time after hitting hard times

In 2008 during the height of the recession the church closed its doors for the final time.

Describing her time in the historic building Ioanna said: “It is a magnificent place, I spent hours photographing and enjoying the grandeur of such a place.

By 2014 the now abandoned Visitation Catholic Church was bought at auction

“I had to go through a broken window which led to the basement to take the snaps, not the most comfortable and easy way in but it was worth it.”

Once the beacon of the local community the vacant building could soon be returned to its former glory due to new investment.

In 2016 the church was converted into an art gallery

In 2014 the building was bought by gallery owner Paul Johsnon, who in 2016 opened the doors again to the former church relaunching it as an art gallery in the hopes of making the landmark an integral part of the community once again.