“Monumental Baptist Church is one step closer to receiving landmark status.

“The 103-year-old church at 729 E. Oakwood Blvd. received a preliminary recommendation from the landmark commission earlier this month. The church will have to complete several steps before being recognized as as a landmark, but pastor Cleophus Lee said he is optimistic about its chances.

“Church leaders hope landmark designation could help them raise money to rehab the building and protect it. The sanctuary ceiling needs repair, and the mural above the choir section needs to be restored. Lee also wants to install a cooling system under the floor and have work done on the roof.

“The total cost of repairs would be close to $1.5 million, Lee said.

“The church was built in 1899 by Patton, Fisher and Miller, an architectural firm that designed dozens of institutions across the region, including the Illinois Institute of Technology. Its Romanesque Revival style — identifiable by its masonry construction, round arches and decorative plaque — was popular in the mid-19th century, especially for public buildings and residential mansions.

“At its height, Monumental had more than 800 members walking through its doors each week and was known for its extravagant production of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ every December. People from all over would pack the room, so much so that some were turned away, according to a December 1979 Ebony Magazine article.” (Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 3/24/22)

Read the full story at Block Club Chicago

A Bronzeville Church Once Known For Its Handel Concerts May Soon Become A City Landmark; The 103-year-old church still has several steps to gain landmark status, but its leader, pastor Cleophus Lee, is optimistic, Jamie Nesbitt Golden, Block Club Chicago, 3/24/22

Monumental Baptist Church takes step towards landmarking, A preliminary landmark recommendation was recently approved, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 3/11/22

Monumental Baptist Church Preliminary Landmark Designation Report, March 2022