Can a skyscraper be a church? Ingleside-Whitfield United Methodist Church isn’t your typical church. This Chicago landmark, at 77 West Washington Street, is a testament to big plans and high hopes. The First United Methodist Church, the oldest church in Chicago, dates back to 1831. Before the city was even incorporated, Methodist circuit riders established this congregation. The Ingleside-Whitfield United Methodist Church stands on the site of their first log cabin church, built north of the Chicago River in 1834. The congregation later moved the cabin across the river to its current location at Washington and Clark Streets. The current skyscraper, known as the Chicago Temple Building, replaced a series of earlier church structures. The congregation debated leaving downtown Chicago for the suburbs after World War I. But they chose to stay put and build something magnificent. The Chicago Temple Building became the tallest building in Chicago in 1924. This neo-Gothic marvel was designed by Holabird & Roche. The architects were instructed to create a “Gothic structure with a churchly tower, a radiant cross at its pinnacle”. Inside, the main sanctuary on the first floor seats 500 and features a wood carving of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. Stained glass windows depict biblical scenes, Chicago, and institutions the church helped found, like Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University. The Chicago Temple houses not one, not two, but three sanctuaries. A smaller chapel, the Dixon Chapel, is located on the second floor. High above the city, nestled at the base of the spire, is the Sky Chapel. Charles R. Walgreen’s family gifted the Sky Chapel in 1952. It’s 400 feet above street level, a serene space for reflection and worship. Interestingly, the Sky Chapel’s altar mirrors the main sanctuary’s, but here, Jesus weeps over Chicago. From the bottom to the top, the Ingleside-Whitfield United Methodist Church is a symbol of the congregation’s enduring faith and the city’s ambitious spirit.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to