“A long-discussed plan to restore the 109-year-old Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, one of the most recognizable buildings in Logan Square, has received a major boost in funding.
“The Chicago Commission on Landmarks on Thursday unanimously approved allocating $250,000 to the restoration project through the city’s Adopt-A-Landmark grant. The red brick church also known as Minnekirken at 2614 N. Kedzie Ave. is in the Logan Square boulevard landmark district.
“Church leaders won conditional grant approval back in 2019, but Thursday’s vote makes it official.
“The grant will allow church leaders to make ‘critical’ repairs to the church, which has suffered from water damage and a crumbling brick facade. Church leaders say it’s important the work is done soon because major construction projects are planned for the square that could cause further damage to the building.
“With the grant approved, restoration work will likely begin next month, depending on when city permits come through, said Barnaby Wauters, the project’s preservationist architect. The project is expected to be completed by the fall, Wauters said.
“Under the project, crews will focus on stabilizing the church’s brick facade and making repairs to prevent water from running down the building and seeping in, Wauters said. No work will be done to the sanctuary, which is in good shape and doesn’t need renovations.
“The city grant only pays for a portion of the project, which costs $725,000 in total. The rest of the funds will come from the church’s coffers and donations. Church leaders have raised more than $100,000 from 120 donors since late 2019.(Bloom, Block Club Chicago, 3/5/21)
Preservation Chicago has long supported the Minnekirken and the use of Adopt-a-Landmarks funds for the restoration of the building. We applaud Logan Square Preservation for their strong and ongoing support for this and other religious buildings within the Logan Square community. We also applaud the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church for deciding to opt-in to the Logan Boulevards Landmark District in 2005. At that time, Ward Miller strongly encouraged the church leadership and board that consent to designation was in the best interest of both the church and wider community.