When a city loses a landmarked structure designed by two of the world's most revered and influential architects, it's a heartbreak. But when that structure also happens to have housed events so historical, they have changed the face of an entire cultural landscape, it is a tragedy. Such was the case on January 6, 2006, when fire gutted the 115-year-old Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago's storied Bronzeville neighborhood.

An Architectural Gem
Designed by Louis H. Sullivan and partner Dankmar Adler, the building was originally a synagogue whose innovative architecture paid homage to the progressive spirit of the Jewish Reform congregation, of which Adler was a member. At the corner of 33rd Street and Indiana Avenue it cut an imposing figure, a brawny block of limestone masonry and rounded arches capped by a smaller block with a steeply pitched roof. Its citadel demeanor worked in stark contrast to the splendor it housed within - a spacious sanctuary exemplifying the genius and aesthetics that were the trademarks of Sullivan and Adler, from the horseshoe-shaped oak balcony to the intricately ornamented terra-cotta panels. . .to the soaring, half-moon ceiling that was an acoustical masterpiece.

The Birth of Gospel
In 1922, the synagogue became the Pilgrim Baptist Church, serving as a welcoming beacon to African-Americans who were arriving from the South in search of homes and jobs during the Great Migration between World Wars I and II. Bronzeville began to flourish as a business, cultural and social center for middle-class Blacks, and it was during this time, in this Church, that jazz and blues artist Thomas A. Dorsey gave rise to a new genre of music: Gospel was born. Imagine the earth-moving vibrations emanating from the Church when the voices of such Gospel icons as Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke rang from the rafters!

Coming Full Circle
In the '50's and '60's the neighborhood began to change, becoming poverty stricken and crime-ridden; membership of what once was a thriving congregation dwindled down to a mere couple hundred. The Church started showing signs of disrepair, triggering its designation as a historic Chicago landmark in 1981. But by 2002, the Bronzeville pendulum was back on the upswing with new construction and the renovating of the grand homes of the Gilded Age. Restoration started on the Church as well. And then came January 6th.

 

Preservation Chicago's Position
When the news reports of the fire first came out, some were skeptical that Pilgrim Baptist could be rebuilt. But more were optimistic, including Preservation Chicago. In a statement to the Press and to a general gathering that included Church and City officials, preservationists and builders, Preservation Chicago has declared, "We encourage the preservation of the exterior walls and their incorporation in any future structure." We are also on record (Chicago Tribune, 2/9/06) for urging the City to monitor repairs on historic buildings more closely so that fires of this nature do not occur in the future.

Hope and Faith
As of 2/17/06, a study by structural engineers of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Assoc., Inc. has shown that significant portions of Pilgrim Baptist's exterior walls appear to remain structurally sound, giving reason for much optimism by experts, and much hope by the faithful, that the Pilgrim Baptist Church can rise again to be even better, even stronger. . .but just as beautiful as it was in its glory days.

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