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First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple

Location: 77 W. Washington Street in Chicago, Illinois.

It is the oldest church in Chicago. It was founded by Methodist circuit riders in 1831, six years before the City of Chicago was incorporated. For more than 175-years, the congregation has gathered for worship in five buildings. Its first services were held in the homes of its members. But in 1834 the growing congregation built a log cabin north of the Chicago River.
Four years later, in 1838, Chicago’s first Methodists floated the cabin across the river and rolled it on logs.  In 1845, a conventional brick church replaced the log cabin at the corner of Washington and Clark Streets. From here it has never moved. The current building was completed in 1924.

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The Chicago temple building is designed by the renowned architectural firm of Holabird & Roche. Construction began in 1923 and was completed in 1924. It has 23 floors dedicated to religious and office use. The skyscraper is designed in the neo-gothic style. It is constructed on a steel frame, and has limestone facade. During planning and construction, the building was called City Temple. However by the time of completion, the name was changed to Chicago Temple.

 

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The Chicago Temple building houses three sanctuaries:
Sanctuary 1 is on the first floor.
Sanctuary 2 is also known as the “Dixon Chapel” and is on the second floor.
Sanctuary 3 also known as the “Sky Chapel” is the smallest sanctuary and is situated at the base of the steeple with seating for 30 people.
Floors five through 21 are rented as offices, mainly to lawyers who prize the proximity to the city, county and state buildings.

On my visit on August 31, 2016, I could only see Sanctuary I. Could not see Dixon Chapel or Sky Chapel. Long back, I have seen the Sky Chapel, but I don’t seem to be having any images from that trip. Some day, when I visit it again, there will be images.

Apart from the three sanctuaries, other points of interest are, the beautiful ceiling of the ground floor lobby and the stained glass windows on the side of the building.

 

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First floor sanctuary: Now the congregation stills gathers for worship in the first-floor sanctuary that seats about 500 people. The focal point is the altar with its wood carving that depicts Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem. Above the altar is a stained glass window that tells the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The windows along the east and west walls portray events described in the Old and New Testaments. On the west wall there is one window that depicts downtown Chicago and the Chicago Temple. Next to it is a window that honors institutions in the Chicago area that the congregation helped found, including Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Northwestern University, Wesley Hospital and the Methodist Home for Children.

Second floor sanctuary: Located on the second floor are the Dixon Chapel, James Parlor, the Heritage Room and church offices. The third and fourth floors house the classrooms and nursery, a conference room and a choir room.

Upper Spire Sky Chapel: Each year thousands of people make the pilgrimage by two elevators and a set of stairs to the Sky Chapel located under the spire 400 feet above the streets of the city. Dedicated on Easter morning 1952, the chapel was a gift from the Walgreen family in memory of Mr. Charles R. Walgreen. The chapel’s altar is a companion piece to the altar in the sanctuary but in the carving on this altar Jesus is shown weeping over the city of Chicago because people still do not know “the things that make for peace.”

 

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RELATED LINKS
Places of Worship: Churches & more.. click here..
Places of Worship: Temples & more.. click here..
Open House Chicago [OHC].. click here..

Photo Gallery / Church Art and Architecture.. click here..

Home: Public Art in Chicago.. click here..

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