North Presbyterian Church
Life Span: 1860-1871
Location: Cass and Indiana streets (Wabash and Grand)
Architect: W. W. Boyington
Chicago Tribune, June 2, 1860
The New North Presbyterian Church.
We hare already mentioned that ground has within a few days past been broken for the laying the foundation for the new church edifice that is about to be erected on the corner of Cass and Indian street, by the North Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. Rice, pastor. This site has recently been purchased by the church from Wm. S. Johnson, jr. The size of the church edifice will be 100 feet deep by 79 feet front, including projections. The walls are to be of brick, with pressed brick fronts, and Athens marble trimmings to the doors, windows, bases, watertables, belt corses, offsets and corbets, all finely cut and moulded.
The outlines and arrangements of the church are somewhat singular, as compared with most of the churches in our city. On the corner of Cass and Indiana streets, a graceful tower and spire are to be built, to the height of about two hundred feet. On the other corner, fronting on Cass street, there will be a turret, in good proportion to the rest of the front. On the east corner, fronting on Indians street, will ba a wing which will balance well with the tower in front. The wing is designed for the reception of on organ and choir, as well as forming an additional entrance to the church, which, together with the two entrances in front—one through the tower and the man central entrance—will afford very commodious ingress and egress. The ground floor is divided and arranged for pastor’s study, session and conference rooms, and for general Sabbath School purposes.
The main audience room will be reached by large and easy flights of stair which, together with the galleries, will seat eleven hundred persona without crowding. The audience room and galleries are to be finished in a chaste and plain style, showing, in construction, an open limbered roof, supported by clustered columns, which, together with the harmony of the design and finish of the galleries, pews and pulpit, will present a very pleasing effect, and will compare favorably with any of the first-class churches in our city.
The contracts have been awarded to Mr. Charles Daegling, masonry; Messrs. Boggs & Son, carpenter and joiner work, and Messrs. A. & T. Merriam, stone-cutting. The work is to be pushed forward with the usual rigor of Chicago enterprise, and will be completed for occupation late in the coming fall, and when finished it will be a line production of Romanesque church architecture, and the pride of the North Side.
Chicago Tribune, July 17, 1860
The North Presbyterian Church.
The beautiful new house of worship of the North Presbyterian Society, Rev. Dr. Rice pastor, on the corner of Cass and Indiana street, on the North Side, is going forward well, and the walls are nearly up. It will be a handsome structure, the cut stone trimmings contrasting well with the red pressed brick.
Chicago Illustrated June 1866
NORTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH—This stately edifice is located at the corner of Cass and Indiana streets, in the north division of the city, is built of red brick with stone trimmings, and is in all respects a solid and well-furnished structure. It is generally known as McCormick’s Church, Cyrus H. McCormick, Esq., being one of the original projectors and most liberal in donations to the society.
The main tower on the corner is 24 feet square at the base, and 104 feet high; the spire, which is octagonal, is 90 feet high—total height 194 feet. The turret at the opposite corner is 16 feet square and 100 feet high. The church is very handsomely and completely finished in the interior. It has an open timber roof, and the nave is 45 feet wide. The dimensions of the audience room is 71 feet wide, 90 feet long, 53 feet high in centre, and 30 feet at the sides. It contains seats for 1,100 persons. The basement contains a lecture room 42 x 60, together with several class-rooms, pastor’s study, ladies’ parlor, and connecting halls and vestibules. The main audience room is reached by three commodious halls and stairways—two in front and one on the side. It has galleries with pews on the sides, and a choir gallery over the vestibule. The height of the side walls is 43 feet; height from sidewalk to ridge of roof 80 feet. The Church is furnished with an excellent Organ.
The style of the building is Romanesque. W. W. Boyington, Esq., of Chicago, was the Architect and Superintendent.
The Society was organized under the auspices of Mr. McCormick, through whom the Rev. Dr. Rice was called to the pastoral cure of the Church. Dr. Rice’s great abilities commended him, notwithstanding the political tinge of his theology. After remaining in charge for a few years he left for Philadelphia. The Society is a large one, and of the most respectable social standing. It includes in its membership many wealthy and influential citizens.
The view includes a glimpse of the residence of Walter Kimball, Esq., of Chicago, which presents a charming appearance—the home of one of Chicago’s most respected citizens.
James W. Sheahan, Esq.,
June 1866.
Chicago Tribune, November 22, 1871
Presbyterian.
Rev. Mr. Swing’s church, the Fourth or North, was a fine brick structure with an amazingly high steeple. It was familiarly known to North Side residents as McCormick chapel, because the McCormick family were its patrons. The pastor is an able divine, but owing to the want of genius in the printers, he had to have his name printed out, because the rascally compositors could never hit on the right patronymic. Here it is Rev. David S-w-i-n-g. This used to be rendered “Ling” and “Ting” and “Jing” and “Sewing,” and fifty other things impossible to reproduce. The reverend gentleman keeps quite a museum composed of his nicknames. Well. Mr. Swing’s church suffered to the extent of at least, $65,000, the insurance of which return barely $15,000. A mission chapel on Erie street, a wooden building valued at $8,000, which belonged to the Second and Fourth churches, was also destroyed, inflicting a still heavier loss on the congregation.
It may be remarked en passant that the Fourth Presbyterian is making strong efforts to rise from its ashes. An appeal has been issued for subscriptions, and the work of rebuilding will commence
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