[1] In the late 1850s, Belgian Catholics immigrated to Detroit and settled in the eastside neighborhoods near Gratiot and Baldwin.

[3] In 1918, Peter Dederichs was awarded a contract to build an "edifice of Romanesque style for religious use".

[3] The St. Charles Borromeo parish complex consisted of four buildings, three of which are historically significant: the church itself, the rectory, and the school.

[4] The entranceway is within a two-story arched structure with columns on each side, above which is a large rose window.

[4] The decorative brick pilasters around the central arch are derived from Prairie School or Arts and Crafts models.