By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A local church will celebrate nearly 200 years in the community with an event this weekend.

The First Presbyterian Church of South Lyon is holding an Open House this Saturday, October 30th from 2 to 4pm to mark their 190th anniversary. Located at 205 E. Lake Street, the church is listed as a National and Michigan Registered Historic Site.

Formed in 1831 while Michigan was still a territory, the congregation consisted of fifteen families who originally held services in the cabin of Mrs. Thomas Dunlap just east of South Lyon, and then inside a schoolhouse built on the farm in 1833.

In 1859, the congregation built a frame church on what is now the corner of Ten Mile and Martindale roads before moving to their current location on the corner of East Lake and Wells Streets in 1883.

The Open House event will show off the church’s original stained glass windows that date to 1899 and are on registered on the National Historic Stained Glass Window Site. Visitors can also sit in the pews that were also installed in 1899.

Guided Historic Tours will be available including a walk through the South Lyon Cemetery featuring many of the church founders’ final resting places. Among them L.D. Chubb, who has a road named after him.

Free Hot dogs and Popcorn will also be available at Saturday’s Open House.