By James Windell
Sandra Tyrrell remem
bers when the South Haven Christian Science Church was a thriving religious community.
“My late husband and I moved to South Haven in 1989 and I became a member in 1991,” says Sandra Tyrrell, one of the last remaining members of the Christian Science Society in South Haven.
She says that membership changed over the last several years.
“I would say that after 2013 that’s when we started to notice a change,” she recalls. “We would have tourists who came during the summer and then they would leave.”
Whereas once the church was full for services, the demographics of South Haven changed and the membership of the church dwindled. “People moved away and more retirees stayed in Florida,” she says. “We just experienced attrition.”
However, from 1917 to late 2025, regular services were held at the church. Tyrrell says that the lot at 624 Phoenix Street, South Haven, was purchased in 1916 for $1600. The architect for the church was Howard Lovewell Cheney, from Chicago, who designed the church as it remains today.
A Chicago‑born architect and engineer, Cheney was widely recognized for his federal, civic, and transportation‑related buildings during the mid‑20th century. He was the architect for the U.S. Treasury Department’s Public Buildings Branch, designing federal buildings across the country, and he was supervising architect for the Chicago Tribune Tower construction. His architectural style leaned toward Art Moderne, Streamline Moderne, and Art Deco, often integrating engineering innovations.
Although Tyrrell doesn’t possess any detailed information about a founding date for the South Haven society, Christian Science began spreading through Michigan in the late 19th century. Early adoption across the state was driven by individuals seeking spiritual healing and guidance, often corresponding directly with Mary Baker Eddy or her students. These early efforts helped establish Christian Science groups throughout Michigan, including smaller communities such as South Haven.
With the decline in membership in recent years, the membership made a decision to sell the Christan Science building in South Haven.
The South Haven society, however, appears to have remained active at least into the mid‑2010s, based on service listings updated in 2016.
Amy O’Sullivan, a realtor with Jacqua Realty, is handling the listing of the church.
“The church has disbanded and is no longer a church, and that’s why they’re selling,” O’Sullivan said during a recent open house of the building.
“It’s located in a residential neighborhood, so it’s zoned R1-B,” she said. “Any change in use will need approval from the Planning Commission and the City.”
The one-story building with a finished basement features original stained-glass windows, wood floors, and solid wood doors and railings. “This is craftsmanship that you don’t see anymore,” O’Sullivan pointed out.
O’Sullivan and some of the people who showed up for the open house speculated about possible uses of the building. “It would make a nice community center or even a home — with renovation,” O’Sullivan said.
According to O’Sullivan, the building could be used as a church without rezoning. A letter from South Haven’s Zoning Administrator, Kelly Getman-Dissette, states that because it is zoned R1-B, permitted uses include as an adult foster care or small group home, a child care facility, a single-family residence, or certain public facilities.
“Any change of use requires special land use approval from the Planning Commission,” Getman-Dissette wrote in her letter. “Any potential businesses outside of those listed above would require rezoning.”
Commenting that it is a lovely building, Tyrrell was sad that the building will be sold. “It really holds a lot of happy memories,” she says. “The people that we met. It’s been wonderful. We had a great run from 1917. But, I’m hoping that whoever buys the building will do something special with it. Like use it for a non-profit organization. That would be nice.”
For more information about the listing, contact Amy O’Sullivan at Jaqua Realtors at 269-214-1257 or aosullivan@jaquareaqltors.com
