Grace Methodist Episcopal Church
Life Span: 1868-1871
Location: Chicago avenue, NW corner LaSalle street
Architect: E. Burling
- Bailey’s Chicago City Directory for 1867
Grace Church, LaSalle, n.w. cor. Chicago
Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1870
Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, Chicago av. nw. cor. LaSalle
Chicago Tribune, January 2, 1865
Grace Methodist Episcopal—A handsome building designed as the chapel of the Church of the Grace Methodist Episcopal congregation, which latter edifice will be erected at some future time, has been built on the corner of Chicago avenue and Lasalle street. The chapel is of the pure gothic type, composed of heavy cut stone. The entrance on Lasalle street is through an archway of massive hewn buttresses, the center being supported by stone pinnacles, the massive appearance of this front is relieved by a large finely painted window. The internal arrangements are of a most complete character. The main room is a fine gothic auditorium, seventy feet by forty, and fifty-seven feet from the floor to the ceiling. On the lower floor are eighty pews, and in an end gallery. twenty feet by forty, are twenty-four additional ones. Altogether the number of sittings is estimated at 528, and the total capacity about 600. The elevation for the chancel is encircled by a black walnut rail with carved oaken balusteres. The pul-pit platform is thirty-two inches above the door. It is smaller than the chancel platform and is one step above. All the windows are of stained glass, most beautifully blazoned with scriptural symbols and monograms.
Chicago Evening Post, June 13, 1868
The costly house building of Grace Methodist Church on the corner of North LaSalle street and Chicago avenue is nearly completed and it is to he dedicated about the first of July.
- Grace Methodist Church
Chicago Evening Post, July 11, 1868
Grace ME Church, at the corner of Chicago avenue and North LaSalle street is now completed and will be dedicated for public worship on Sunday, July 12th. It is a fine structure of stone in the Gothic style of architecture and will compare in design and finish with any church edifice in this city.
The plan of the building includes a chapel 45×100 which was erected and dedicated four years since and has been used up to the present for church purposes.
The present building, which is the completion of the original design, is 66×86 feet and has a gallery on three sides and affords seats for 1,000 persons.
All parts of the new building are now complete except the lower, which is now built only to a height of fifty feet above the sidewalk, and which it is intended to carry up to a height of 160 feet.
The interior of the new part has been most carefully treated as regards taste and fitness of purpose, and in many particulars may safely challenge comparison with any in the city.
The windows are of stained glass of uncommon excellence of design, and were made by Misch Bros., of this city. The wood work is of black walnut and butternut woods used in combination, and in addition to being in good taste and proportion is excellently well executed—the contractor for the work being Cyrall LaBeau. The painting of the church throughout is in excellent taste, the ceiling being colored ultra marine blue and thickly dotted with gold stains, and the side walls are colored in imitation of Caen stone and laid off in blocks. J. B. Sullivan has the contract for this work.
The organ, manufactured by Messrs. Hook of Boston, is a grand instrument and is pronounced by judges to be a most superior and powerful one. The case is of heavy black walnut, the pipes being illuminated in mediaeval style, the whole producing a fine effect. The location of the organ in the church is somewhat peculiar, being just in the rear of the pulpit and on the same platform, and is operated by the organist sitting in one of the front pews. The upholstery for the pews was furnished by Messrs. Phelps & Hollister of this city.
The total cost of the structure as it now stands, including organ, furniture and the lot on which it stands, is about $96,000. The lot cost $10,000. E. Burling 116 LaSalle street is the architect
- Grace Methodist Church
1869
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