Chicago South Loop / Second Presbyterian Church

The Second Presbyterian Church.

Address: 1936 S. Michigan Ave.

Year Built: 1874 / Reconstructed in 1900.

Architect: Original construction, James Renwirk.

Reconstruction: Howard Van Doren Shaw

State of Illinois designated a historical landmark: September, 1973.

National Register of Historical places: 1974.

Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: September 28, 1977.

Second Presbyterian Church organized in 1842 with 26 members. It an offshoot of the city’s original Presbyterian congregation, which had formed in 1833. The original church building was built at Wabash Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Chicago. It was designed by architect James Renwick, Jr.. It was known as the spotted church because of the tar deposits in its limestone blocks. The spotted church was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in October 1871.

Second Presbyterian Church

After the original building was destroyed, the Second Presbyterian Church [this building] was built in 1874, at the 20th Street [now Cullerton] in South Michigan Ave. It was again designed by James Renwick. He designed the church based on early English Gothic examples, with a high-pitched gable roof, a rose window in the east wall, and a corner bell tower. The stone is Joliet limestone with sandstone trim. The interior was also thoroughly Gothic, with pointed arches leading to the side aisles and extensive stenciling adorning the walls. The sanctuary in the new building was dedicated in 1874. In March 1900, a fire destroyed the roof and extensive smoke and water damage devastated the interior. The church turned to one of its members, Howard Van Doren Shaw, for the rebuilding.

Second Presbyterian Church

Shaw, abandoned the original neo-Gothic approach and redesiged the sanctuary on Arts and Crafts principles. He worked with his friend, the painter Frederic Clay Bartlett, and several other designers and craftsmen. Shaw lowered the pitch of the roof, expanded the balconies, crated the interiors with liberal use of dark oak and plaster reliefs. He planned an auditorium-style sanctuary, with no central aisle. This was appropriate for a congregation that emphasized preaching and musical worship. For the same reason, the pews are gently curved, providing good sight lines to the pulpit. Artist Frederic Clay Bartlett created murals in the balcony arches and the large “Tree of Life” mural that decorates the front wall of the church. It has nine windows designed by Tiffany.

Architect Howard Van Doren Shaw and his painter friend Frederic Clay Bartlett designed every element of the interior to work together to create a restful and harmonious whole.

Tree of life and angels.
Frederic Clay Bartlett painted the wall murals. The large west wall mural depicts the Tree of Life, a rainbow, and a procession of angels with medieval musical instruments in the starry heavens. The Tree of Life mural measures about 40×30 feet. Above this is a great rainbow and still higher hovers a hierarchy of angels who sing and play medieval instruments. There are four angels located fifty feet aboove the floor of the sanctuary. The painted balcony arches depict angels praising and celebrating.

Baptismal Font and Celtic Cross.
The baptismal font was handcarved out of limestone by craftsmen in Florence, Italy. It features intertwining lilies and lilies of the valley. The burnished bronze Celtic cross is from Iona, an Island off the coast of Scotland..

Liturgical symbols are found throughout the nave. The recurring grape and vine design representing eucharistic wine [the blood of Christ] is repeated in the ends of pews, the balcony railings and murals. Another prominent motif is pomegranate, emblematic of the Resurrection. Other symbols include linen fold, the thistel, olive branches, fruit trees, baskets of fruits and roses.

Tree of life and angels. / Second Presbyterian Church

Baptismal Font / Second Presbyterian Church

Celtic Cross / Second Presbyterian Church

Second Presbyterian Church

WINDOW GALLERY
Second Presbyterian Church

When the sanctuary was rededicated in 1904, many of its arched openings contained simple windows with small, stylized floral designs by Howard Van Doren Shaw. Soon the bays began to be filled with specially commissioned memorial windows. Now, only the last bay on the north side of the church displays Shaw’s work.

– Nine windows made by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company and Tiffany Studios span the years 1892-1917 and illustrate a diversity of motifs and glassmaking techniques offered by Louis Comfort Tiffany’s firms. Tiffany looked to get artistic effects from the character of the glass itself rather than by painting on the glass. He used folded glass, confetti glass, striated glass, and multiple layers of glass. Most of the windows portray Biblical scenes, while others have more stylized designs, and some are pastoral scenes.
– One by Healy & Millet, a renowned Chicago firm.
– Two by firm of McCully & Miles, another Chicago firm.
– Six windows designed by William Fair Kline for Church Glass & Decorating Company of New York, and..
– Two windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones for William Morris & Company.

– Nine windows made by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company and Tiffany Studios span the years 1892-1917 and illustrate a diversity of motifs and glassmaking techniques offered by Louis Comfort Tiffany’s firms. Tiffany looked to get artistic effects from the character of the glass itself rather than by painting on the glass. He used folded glass, confetti glass, striated glass, and multiple layers of glass. Most of the windows portray Biblical scenes, while others have more stylized designs, and some are pastoral scenes.
– One by Healy & Millet, a renowned Chicago firm..
– Two by firm of McCully & Miles, another Chicago firm..
– Six windows designed by William Fair Kline for Church Glass & Decorating Company of New York, and..
– Two windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones for William Morris & Company.

Nave – North Wall / Second Presbyterian Church

Nave – North Wall
# N-1: Pastoral Wondow – Louis C. Tiffany
# N-2: Cast Thy Garment About Thee and Follow Me – Healy & Millet
# N-3: Behold the Lamb of God – Louis C. Tiffany
# N-4: Angel in the Lilies – Louis C. Tiffany
# N-5: Jeweled Window – Louis C. Tiffany
# N-6: Arts and Crafts window – Howard Van Doren Shaw.

Nave – South wall / Second Presbyterian Church

Nave – South wall
# S-1: Christ blessing the little children – Louis C. Tiffany
Originally installed in the First Presbyterian Church in 1893, and removed to it’s present location in 1912 ..
# S-2: The Angel at the Open Tomb – Louis C. Tiffany
# S-3: Peace Window – Louis C. Tiffany
# S-4: Mount of the Holy Cross – Louis C. Tiffany
# S-5: Beside the Still Waters – McCully & Miles
# S-6: St. Paul’s Preaching to the Athenians – Louis C. Tiffany

Narthex – East Wall / Second Presbyterian Church

Narthex – East Wall ..
In the east end of the church is a boldly colored representation of the Resurrection. Below it are the five scourges or Arma Christi of Jesus.
“The Ascension” and “The Five Scourges” ..
The whole masterpiece, is made by William Fair Kline..
In “The Ascension”, Christ is in a milk-white translucent robe, His arms upstretched, rises to the heavens ..
“The Five Scourges”, symbolizing Christ’s torments are entirely different in mood.
These show The Whip, The Crown of Thorns, The Cross, The Hammer and The Nails, and The Rope.

Narthex – East Wall / Second Presbyterian Church

St. Cecilia [blue robe] and St. Margaret of Antioch [crimson robe] – by Edward Burne-Jones / Second Presbyterian Church

The two Edward Burne-Jones windows in the lobby tie Second Presbyterian directly to the British Arts and Crafts Movement. Burne-Jones was a close associate of William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts in Britain. Morris and Co. crafted these two windows from the designs of Burne-Jones.
– St. Margaret of Antioch, in robes of rich crimson..
– St. Cecilia, in blue robes, a portable organ in her arms.
Burne-Jones windows are rare in the United States; these are the only ones known outside of the East Coast..