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Holy Trinity Church: Chicago’s Monument to Polish Faith and Freedom.

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Feature image: Exterior of Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church, Shots of Holy Trinity Polish Mission can be seen throughout 20th Century-Fox’s 1948 film noir Call Northside 777 starring James Stewart, the first Hollywood feature film to be shot on location in Chicago. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church in Chicago is more than an architectural landmark. Through its art, stained glass, icons, and devotional imagery, it preserves the religious faith, national memory, and spirit of endurance that sustained Poles through foreign occupation, war, communism, and immigration to the United States.

Founding of a Polish Landmark

Holy Trinity Parish was founded in 1872 to relieve overcrowding at St. Stanislaus Kostka, Chicago’s first Polish parish. The Congregation of the Holy Cross was chosen to serve the new congregation under the leadership of Father Casimir Sztuczko, CSC. From its earliest years, Holy Trinity became closely associated with the Polish National Alliance, as many of the organization’s most active members belonged to the parish.

During the twentieth century, Holy Trinity stood at the heart of Chicago’s historic Polish community. However, construction of the Kennedy Expressway through the center of Polish Downtown displaced thousands of residents and marked the beginning of a long demographic decline for the parish. Despite these changes, Holy Trinity remained an important cultural and spiritual center for Polish Americans.

Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy attended Mass at Holy Trinity during the festivities surrounding Chicago’s annual Polish Constitution Day Parade in 1961. Administration of the parish passed to the Resurrectionists in 1975 and later to the Society of Christ Fathers in 1988, who continue to serve the congregation today. On September 14, 2006, Polish Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński visited Holy Trinity and attended a Mass celebrated during his Chicago visit.

Holy Trinity has also appeared on the silver screen. Exterior views of the church can be seen throughout Call Northside 777 (1948), starring James Stewart, the first Hollywood feature film shot on location in Chicago.

Building the Present Church

By the turn of the twentieth century, parish growth demanded a larger church. Initial designs were prepared by Herman Olszewski, better known by his artistic pseudonym Von Herbulis. Because of financial limitations, the plans were scaled back and refined by Chicago architect William Krieg. Construction began in 1905, and the magnificent new church was completed in October 1906.

The imposing façade combines several architectural traditions. Twin towers frame a monumental entrance portico supported by four Corinthian columns. The lower stages of the towers feature Corinthian pilasters and classical pediments, while the upper levels become increasingly Baroque in character, culminating in ornate cupolas. Above the portico rises a dramatic Baroque superstructure of brick and stone, while iron framing supports the segmental vaults and tower interiors. Gothic and Romanesque influences appear throughout the church’s windows and decorative details.

Architecture Inspired by Poland

The church’s eclectic design reflects the architectural history of Poland itself. Many medieval Polish churches evolved over centuries, rebuilt after wars, fires, and other disasters, often incorporating the artistic tastes of successive generations. Frequently, renovations were halted when funds ran out, resulting in interiors and exteriors executed in entirely different styles.

Holy Trinity deliberately follows this tradition. Its mixture of Classical, Gothic, Romanesque, and Baroque elements evokes the appearance of many historic churches in Poland and would have offered immigrant parishioners a powerful reminder of the homeland they had left behind.

A Monumental Interior

The church interior remains remarkably intact and retains much of its original appearance. Measuring approximately 125 by 200 feet, the sanctuary is both spacious and richly ornamented. Iron construction made it possible to create broad vaulted spaces without the forest of support columns found in many churches of comparable scale.

Murals depicting religious scenes cover the walls and ceilings, including compositions honoring the patron saints of Poland. Every stained-glass window was selected to reflect symbols familiar to Polish immigrants. Among the most prominent are depictions of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa and Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. Other windows portray Polish saints, martyrs, national emblems such as the Polish eagle, and traditional folkloric motifs.

The church’s interior decoration was executed by K. Markiewicz in 1914, while the large vault murals were completed in 1926. Most of the stained-glass windows, selected in 1940 and ultimately installed in 1955, were created by noted Polish artist Irena Lorentowicz.

Sacred Memorials and National Memory

Holy Trinity also serves as a repository of Polish historical memory. In 1990, a statue of Our Lady Queen of Emigrants by Professor Wiktor Zin was installed and blessed by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. Two years later, an urn containing soil from Kharkiv, Katyn, and Mednoye was placed in the church. Each site contains mass graves of Polish victims murdered by Soviet authorities during World War II.

Additional commemorative plaques were installed in the narthex during 1993 and 1994. One honors Father Casimir Sztuczko, CSC, whose leadership guided the construction of the present church. Another marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino, one of the most significant Polish military victories of World War II.

Renewal for a New Century

As Holy Trinity approached the centennial of its current church building, an ambitious restoration campaign was launched in 2005. The work included the installation of new copper cupolas atop the towers, new granite flooring in the sanctuary, extensive interior restoration, and conservation of decorative artwork.

New religious imagery was added to reflect figures especially revered by contemporary Polish Catholics. A large mural of St. Cecilia accompanied by an angelic choir was installed above the choir loft. New depictions of St. Faustina, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Cardinal August Hlond, founder of the Society of Christ Fathers, and St. John Paul II further connected the parish’s historic mission with modern Polish spirituality.

The Millennium Doors, created by artist Jerzy Kenar, had already begun welcoming worshippers and visitors into the sanctuary in 2000.

The Catacombs

Among Holy Trinity’s most distinctive features are its remarkable “Catacombs,” located beneath the church. Father Casimir Sztuczko envisioned a place where relics of saints and the blessed could be venerated, drawing inspiration from the underground burial chambers and gathering places used by early Christians during periods of persecution in the Roman Empire.

The resulting devotional space consists of winding passageways lined with niches containing sacred relics. The route culminates in a chamber representing the Tomb of Christ, creating a deeply symbolic pilgrimage experience within the church itself.

The Catacombs became the first major area restored during the centennial renovation campaign after years of neglect, particularly during the period when parish closure was being considered. Since then, the collection has expanded to include relics of newly canonized saints, as well as stones gathered from important biblical sites in the Holy Land. Today, the Catacombs remain open to visitors on Sundays following Masses and throughout the season of Lent.

The interior of Holy trinity Polish Catholic Church (Trójcowo) in Chicago, built in the grand Polish Cathedral style. This architectural style was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for large churches serving Polish immigrant communities in the American Midwest. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

Architectural Style

The building is a monumental blend of Renaissance Revival and Baroque Revival architecture, designed by architect Herman Olszewski and completed in 1906. The style mimics the ornate, historic cathedrals of Poland to evoke a sense of cultural heritage, using monumental scales, vaulted ceilings, and extensive gold leaf.

Key Interior Details

  • The Ribbons / Banners: The interior features sweeping, ceremonial colored fabric swags draped across the nave. These include red and white (the national colors of Poland), alongside yellow and white (the colors of the Vatican/Holy See).
  • The High Altar: Centered at the front is a towering, white-and-gold carved wooden altarpiece modeled after traditional European Gothic and Renaissance structures, complete with saint statues tucked into delicate architectural niches.
  • The Ceiling Vaults and Frescoes: The nave is covered by a barrel-vaulted ceiling adorned with elaborate, large-scale religious frescoes. The walls are completely filled with decorative murals, intricate stenciling, and gilded cornices rather than being left blank.
  • Monumental Columns: In the foreground stands a massive, thick supporting pillar with a striking, faux-marble green scagliola finish and decorative gold trim at the top.
  • Stained Glass Windows: The side walls are lined with tall, arched stained glass windows featuring intricate geometric borders and detailed figurative portraits of saints, flooding the sanctuary with colored natural light.
  • The Pews: Long, polished oak wooden church benches line both sides of a carpeted center aisle, featuring beautifully carved, swirling scroll patterns on each aisle end cap.

The spectacular high altar and vault frescoes inside Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church (commonly known to the local community as Trójcowo), located in Chicago, Illinois. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

The High Altar Piece

The massive, hand-carved white and gold wooden altarpiece (retable) represents the namesake of the parish—the Holy Trinity:

  • The Center Panel: Features a large painting of God the Father and Jesus Christ sitting side-by-side. Between them rests an open book inscribed with “A Ω” (Alpha and Omega, representing the beginning and the end). Hovering directly above them is a glowing white dove representing the Holy Spirit, completing the Trinity.
  • The Surrounding Statues: The Gothic-style niches built into the towers of the altar hold painted statues of various Catholic saints, including Saint Peter (holding the keys) and Saint Paul flanking the immediate sides of the central painting.
  • The Crucifixion (Foreground): A traditional crucifix stands directly on the lower tabernacle tier, centering the altar around the sacrifice of Christ.

The large, semi-circular mural painted on the wall directly above the altar structure illustrates the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Heaven, surrounded by notable figures from Polish religious history. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

Above the altar of Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church in Chicago, a large semi-circular mural installed during a major restoration and renovation completed in 2007 depicts the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Heaven, surrounded by prominent figures from Polish religious history. At left, clad in a red cassock, is Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński (1901-1981), Archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw, Primate of Poland, and a steadfast spiritual leader who defended the Polish Church during both the Nazi occupation and the Communist era; he was beatified by Pope Francis in 2021. Beside him stands Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), portrayed in a dark hooded habit. The Polish nun and mystic’s visions of Christ inspired the worldwide Divine Mercy devotion, one of the most influential Catholic spiritual movements of the twentieth century, and she was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Also represented is Saint John Paul II, the first Polish pope, whose historic pontificate profoundly shaped both the Church and modern Poland; he was canonized by Pope Francis in 2014. At right, vested in red and black, is Cardinal August Hlond (1881-1948), the Polish Salesian prelate who served as Archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw and Primate of Poland from 1926 until his death. Created cardinal by Pope Pius XI in 1927, he was arrested by the Gestapo in 1944, becoming the only cardinal imprisoned by the Nazis, and after his release in 1945 became an outspoken defender of Church autonomy and religious education against Soviet-backed Communist policies in postwar Poland.

The interior combines religious devotion with specifically Polish historical memory.

The elements within the sanctuary of Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church hold deep cultural, architectural, and geographical significance. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

The Meaning of the Banners

The sweeping, decorative fabric banners (swags) draped across the upper nave are intentionally colored to celebrate the parish’s dual identity:

  • Red and White: These represent the national colors of Poland, paying homage to the heritage of the immigrant community that built the parish.
  • Yellow and White: These represent the official colors of the Vatican (The Holy See), symbolizing the parish’s absolute allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope.

Style of the Stained Glass

These windows are executed in the Munich Style (or German Pictorial Style) of stained glass. Unlike medieval windows that used rough patches of colored glass separated by thick lead lines, this late 19th-century technique involved painting highly detailed, realistic religious scenes directly onto large sheets of glass with enamels before firing them in a kiln. The result mimics classic European oil paintings, featuring vibrant colors, lifelike human anatomy, and dramatic depth.

When and Where They Were Made & Installed

  • Where They Were Made: The windows were commissioned and custom-made in Munich, Germany, primarily by the renowned F.X. Zettler Studios (The Royal Bavarian Art Institute for Stained Glass), which specialized in producing windows for grand American immigrant churches.
  • When They Were Installed: They were fabricated and shipped to Chicago, where they were installed inside the church sanctuary between 1905 and 1906, perfectly aligning with the completion and dedication of the current church building.

The reason these windows look more abstract, ornamental, and geometric than the windows at St. Edmund Church in Oak Park comes down to a major difference in when they were actually made and the specific artistic style the parish chose.

While both sets are attributed to the legendary F.X. Zettler Studios of Munich, they represent completely different eras and design goals:

Different Eras: 1907 vs. 1955

  • St. Edmund (Oak Park): These windows were commissioned, crafted, and installed during the church’s initial construction between 1907 and 1910. They feature Zettler’s signature turn-of-the-century “Munich Style”—which behaves like highly realistic, multi-perspective oil paintings saturated with lifelike figures and complex New Testament scenes.
  • Holy Trinity (Chicago): While the church building itself was completed in 1906, the parish did not select or order these specific nave windows until 1940, and they were not installed until 1955. Because they were built decades later, Zettler’s post-WWII artisans utilized a more mid-century approach, heavily favoring bold, geometric, and decorative glass frameworks over dense, cinematic storytelling scenes.

Art Nouveau and Folkloric Design Intentions

The interior design of Holy Trinity intentionally veers away from standard, literal Roman-style narratives to celebrate Polish identity. The church’s design scheme relies heavily on Secessionist / Art Nouveau flairs—strongly inspired by the geometric and floral work of legendary Polish artist Stanisław Wyspiański.

Polish artist Irena Lorentowicz (1908-1985) taken in the late 1920s or early 1930s. This period aligns when she was an art student at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts, studying under celebrated figures like Tadeusz Pruszkowski. Her abstract windows at Holy Trinity weren’t actually fabricated and shipped to Chicago until 1955. Public Domain.

To match this unique interior energy, the lower sections of these windows focus heavily on stylized, abstract geometric borders, folk art color patterns, and prominent Polish eagles and traditional cultural motifs. Instead of massive, full-window portraits, the figurative depictions of Polish saints and martyrs are intentionally condensed into smaller, ornamental medallions nestled within a sea of abstract, light-filtering patterns.

Before the current abstract stained glass windows were installed in 1955, the window frames at Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church held standard, temporary windows common to newly constructed churches of that era.

When the building was completed in 1906, the parish was entirely out of funds due to the immense cost of constructing such a massive, ornate structure. To get the building open for services, they installed temporary panes of clear or basic frosted cathedral glass, which lacked any of the intricate figures or colorful Polish motifs seen today.

The openings remained this way for nearly 50 years. While internal stenciling was added in 1914 and the monumental ceiling vault frescoes were painted in 1926, the empty clear windows were kept until the parish could finally afford a permanent artistic upgrade. They officially selected the final custom designs from Munich in 1940, but due to the disruptions of World War II and the post-war recovery in Germany, the abstract Irena Lorentowicz windows weren’t actually fabricated and shipped to Chicago until 1955.

A Shift to Polish Folk Art & “Young Poland” Imagery

When the parish finally had the funds to complete the windows, they consciously chose to step away from traditional Roman or German imagery. They hired prominent Polish artist Irena Lorentowicz, a theatrical designer and painter who was deeply influenced by the Młoda Polska (Young Poland) Art Nouveau movement.

Lorentowicz deliberately chose to make the windows more geometric and abstract. Rather than filling the panels with traditional, heavy biblical scenes, she seamlessly wove stylized Polish geometric folk patterns, folkloric textiles, and Polish eagles directly into the light-filtering glass grids. This choice honored the mid-century modern aesthetic while proudly celebrating the specific identity of the Chicago Polish community.

View of the sanctuary inside Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church (Trójcowo) in Chicago during a service. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

  • The Congregation: Parishioners are seated in the rows of dark wooden pews in the foreground, facing the altar area. Several people can be seen standing or moving in the aisle near the front left.
  • The High Altar (Center): The illuminated main altar stands out in the back center of the sanctuary. It is a large, multi-tiered white and gold structure featuring a central painting of the Holy Trinity and flanked by statues of saints.
  • The Side Altars: Two smaller, matching side altars flank the main altarpiece. The left side altar features a statue of the Virgin Mary, while the right-side altar features another prominent religious figure, with a traditional crucifix nearby.

The Circular Rose Windows

Two vibrant, blue-dominated circular stained glass rose windows are visible on either side of the sanctuary walls above the altars. The two circular rosette (rose) stained glass windows positioned on either side of the high altar are an exception to the later 1950s additions—they are actually part of the original 1906 Munich-style installation.

Who Made Them and When

  • The Manufacturer: They were custom-crafted in Germany by F.X. Zettler Studios of Munich (The Royal Bavarian Art Institute for Stained Glass).
  • The Date: They were shipped to Chicago and installed between 1905 and 1906, perfectly aligning with the initial completion and dedication of the church building. Unlike the vertical nave windows that feature a more abstract mid-century look, these two transept rose windows follow the highly traditional, literal Munich Pictorial Style. Because they were imported before World War I, they display the signature rich, vibrant blues and multi-layered enamel painting techniques that made early 20th-century Bavarian glass studios world-famous.
  • The Left Rose Window: This window represents The Joyful Mysteries and features an intricate central portrait medallion of the Annunciation, surrounded by petal-like geometric panels blooming outward.
  • The Right Rose Window: This window honors the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven, showcasing a central portrait medallion of her coronation, matching the theological theme of the massive wall mural painted directly below it.

Ceiling Murals

While the massive, overarching barrel-vaulted ceiling murals were completed in 1926 by artist K. Markiewicz, the artwork on the church walls was painted across multiple decades:

  • 1914 Decorating: K. Markiewicz actually began executing the initial intricate ornamental stenciling, borders, and interior decorations along the walls earlier in 1914.
  • The 1926 Ceiling Wave: The dramatic, large-scale religious scenes canvas fresco painting on the high roof vaults were executed as a unified phase in 1926.
  • Modern Wall Additions (Post-WWII): Many of the specific historical portraits and wall paintings seen today—such as the large fresco directly above the high altar depicting Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński—could not have been painted in 1926. Those modern figures were added much later in the 20th century to honor contemporary Polish religious heroes.

The Black Madonna of Częstochowa represents both faith and national survival. The church became a place where Polish-Americans maintained connections to struggles against Nazism and Communism.

In this corner inside Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church showcases how the parish blends traditional religious artwork with distinct Polish national identity. The three prominent artworks, their frameworks, and the surrounding architecture are detailed below. July 2013. Author’s photograph.

The Three Artworks & Their Iconography

Our Lady of Częstochowa (Far Left Side Altar)

  • The Subject: This is a replica of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, Poland’s most sacred religious relic. It depicts the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus. A defining iconographical detail is the two scars on her right cheek, which historically represent slashes made by a Hussite raider’s sword in 1430. Both Mary and Jesus are adorned with elaborate, relief-sculpted gold crowns and gowns (sukienki).
  • The Style & Artist: Painted in the strict Byzantine Hodegetria style (meaning “She who shows the Way”), Mary points her hand toward Jesus as the source of salvation. This specific replica was commissioned anonymously by a parishioner and painted by a traditional Polish iconographer in the early 20th century.

The Carrying of the Cross (Center Altar Niches)

  • The Subject: This is the Fifth Station of the Cross, depicting Simon of Cyrene helping a weary, thorn-crowned Jesus carry his heavy wooden crucifix toward Calvary. A Roman soldier stands behind them aggressively directing their path.
  • The Style & Artist: This is a high-relief, polychrome Academic Realism sculpture made of painted plaster and wood. It was hand-carved by European artisans in the late 19th century and integrated directly into the structural architecture of the side altars.

Portrait of Pope John Paul II (Far Right Wall)

  • The Subject: A formal portrait of Pope John Paul II (labeled underneath as Bł. Jan Paweł II, meaning “Blessed John Paul II,” referencing the period after his beatification but prior to his canonization as a saint). He wears his papal white cassock and a bright crimson velvet mozzetta (cape) while looking warmly toward the congregation.
  • The Style & Artist: Executed in a traditional Contemporary Realism painting style, this canvas portrait was added to the sanctuary wall in the early 2010s to celebrate the historic Polish pope, who visited Chicago and this specific neighborhood during his lifetime.

Architectural Frames & Wall Details

  • The Side Altar Frame (Left & Center): Built in a heavy Renaissance Revival style, the shrines are constructed from polished white marble and matching painted plaster columns. The pillars feature classic Corinthian capitals dipped in gold leaf, supporting an ornate, multi-tiered pediment that mimics a miniature European cathedral facade.
  • The Wall Stenciling (Background): The walls are covered in spectacular, intricate Beaux-Arts / Baroque Revival stenciling painted by artist K. Markiewicz. The patterns feature looping gold leaf arabesques, floral cornucopias, and hidden cherubim medallions woven directly into the beige background.
  • The Stained Glass Window: Rising above the papal portrait is one of the custom 1955 Munich-style windows. It frames geometric patterns and abstract floral glass panels that echo the shapes of traditional Polish paper-cutting folk art (wycinanki).
  • The Staircase Railing (Foreground): The white marble staircase railing leading up toward the sanctuary features a line of open geometric circle-and-scroll cuts, which parishioners have beautifully decorated with hanging ornamental painted globes, adding a unique festive texture to the architecture.

The Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa (The Black Madonna)

Devotion to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa has anchored Polish spirituality since the late 14th century, when Prince Władysław Opolczyk brought the sacred icon to the Jasna Góra Monastery in 1382.

While Catholic and Orthodox pious tradition holds that Saint Luke the Evangelist painted the image on a cedar tabletop crafted by Saint Joseph for the Holy Family, modern art historians classify the artwork as a Byzantine Hodegetria icon—a style depicting Mary pointing toward Christ as the Way—and estimate its original creation between the 6th and 9th centuries.

The icon’s physical composition changed forever on Easter Monday in 1430, when Hussite raiders plundered the monastery, slashed the Virgin Mary’s face with a sword, and shattered the wooden panel. King Władysław Jagiełło commissioned the realm’s finest artists to restore the holy image, but they faced a technical hurdle. The icon had originally been rendered using an ancient, wax-based encaustic technique, which rejected the artists’ medieval tempera paints.

Unable to seamlessly patch the damage, the restorers ultimately repainted the image onto the original holy panel. As lasting testament to the icon’s survival and a reminder of the desecration, the artists intentionally carved the deep slash marks back into the Virgin Mary’s cheek.

The Black Madonna became the ultimate emblem of defiance against 20th century tyranny

Our Lady of Częstochowa, a replica of the Black Madonna, occupies a place of honor within the church. Poland’s most revered religious icon depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child. A defining feature of the image is the pair of scars on Mary’s right cheek, traditionally associated with sword blows inflicted during a Hussite raid in 1430. Both Mary and Jesus are adorned with elaborate relief-sculpted gold crowns and jeweled gowns (sukienki) as Mary gestures toward Jesus as the source of salvation.

Few images have carried greater significance in Polish history than Our Lady of Częstochowa. Housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery, the Black Madonna became a powerful symbol of national survival, religious faith, and spiritual resistance through successive occupations and political regimes.

Both Nazis and Communists feared her power: the former saw her as a spark of Polish nationalism, the latter as a rallying point for faith and freedom. When Germany invaded in 1939, monks at Jasna Góra Monastery hid the original icon inside a heavy oak table while Nazi officers unknowingly worked on the exact tabletop above it. Despite Nazi bans and threats of public execution, pilgrims still came in the hundreds of thousands, and the monastery’s catacombs became a hub for the Polish Resistance.

After 1945, the Communist regime tried to suppress her veneration, seeing her title as “Queen of Poland” to be subversive. Yet devotion only deepened.

By the 1970s and 1980s, images of Our Lady of Częstochowa appeared widely alongside Pope John Paul II and the emerging Solidarity Movement, symbolizing the enduring connection between faith, human dignity, and the Polish struggle for freedom. Lech Wałęsa famously wore a small image of the Black Madonna on his lapel, helping transform the icon into one of the most recognizable symbols of resistance to Communist rule in Eastern Europe—the same Madonna that Fascists and Communists alike failed to destroy.

Portraits and memorials honor modern Polish heroes such as John Paul II and Jerzy Popiełuszko.

The painting’s subject is  Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, a Polish Roman Catholic priest and martyr. He is  depicted wearing red liturgical vestments — a chasuble embroidered with gold, symbolizing martyrdom and sacrifice. His hands are clasped in prayer before his chest, and his expression is solemn yet peaceful, reflecting spiritual strength. A halo encircles his head, marking his beatified status. The ornate red-and-gold frame reinforces reverence and sanctity, while the inscription “BL. Ks. JERZY POPIEŁUSZKO” identifies him as Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko. July 2013. Author’s phograph.

Life and Advocacy

Popiełuszko became a symbol of faith and resistance during Poland’s communist era, known for preaching truth and human dignity until his assassination in 1984. Born in 1947 in northeastern Poland, he was ordained as a priest in 1972 by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. Father Popiełuszko became closely linked with “Solidarity” (Solidarność), the first independent, anti-communist trade union bloc in the Soviet zone. He served as the spiritual leader and chaplain for Warsaw factory workers and steelworkers. During the dark years of martial law in Poland, he celebrated monthly “Masses for the Homeland”. His moving sermons centered on truth, human dignity, freedom, and spiritual resistance. He famously urged his followers to “overcome evil with good”.

Martyrdom

Because his speeches drew tens of thousands of people and unified opposition to the state, he became a prime target of communist authorities. On October 19, 1984, at just 37 years old, Father Popiełuszko was ambushed, kidnapped, and brutally beaten to death by three agents of the communist Internal Affairs Security Service. His body was subsequently dumped in a reservoir along the Vistula River. His funeral turned into a massive, peaceful anti-communist demonstration attended by up to one million citizens.

Legacy and Beatification

Recognizing his ultimate sacrifice for his faith and people, Pope Benedict XVI beatified him as a martyr on June 6, 2010. The text at the bottom of the painting reads “Bł. Ks. Jerzy Popiełuszko”, where “Bł.” stands for Błogosławiony (Blessed) and “Ks.” stands for Ksiądz (Priest) in Polish. His vestment is adorned with the IHS christogram.

Built for the World’s Fair: The Congress Plaza Hotel (1893/1907) and Chicago’s Gilded Age Ambitions.

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Feature Image: Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago built in 1893 during the World’s Columbian Exposition features this later ornate Beaux-Arts gold elevator bank and the celebrated Gold Room. December 2015. Author’s photograph. 6.20 mb DSC_0617 (1).

The Congress Plaza Hotel embodies Chicago’s transformation during and after the World’s Columbian Exposition, linking the city’s emergence as a world-class destination with the architectural legacy of Clinton J. Warren and later expansions by Holabird & Roche. Through its strategic location, grand design, continuous operation since 1893, and association with major historical figures, the hotel serves as a living monument to Chicago’s Gilded Age ambitions and early twentieth-century prominence.

A Hotel of the Columbian Exposition Era

The original North Tower was built in 1893 during the World’s Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago from May 1 through October 31 of that year. The project was developed by famed hotel entrepreneur R.H. Southgate and designed by architect Clinton J. Warren (1860-1938), one of Chicago’s most prolific young hotel specialists during the late nineteenth century.

Warren moved from Massachusetts to Chicago in 1879 and joined the firm of Burnham and Root the following year. After establishing his own practice in 1886, he designed an impressive roster of Chicago hotels, including the ten-story Virginia Hotel (1889-1890) at Ohio and Rush Streets; the eight-story Metropole Hotel (1891) at Michigan Avenue and 23rd Street; the Plaza Hotel (1891-1892) at Clark Street and North Avenue; the Lexington Hotel (1892) at 22nd Street and Michigan Avenue; and the Auditorium Annex (1893) at 504 South Michigan Avenue, today known as the Congress Plaza Hotel.

Built in 1893 during the World’s Columbian Exposition and originally opened as the Auditorium Annex, it was designed by architect Clinton J. Warren, one of Chicago’s leading hotel specialists of the era.

By 1900, Warren had returned to Boston. He died in San Diego in 1938, by which time his significant contribution to Chicago architecture had largely faded from public memory. Notably, his New York Times obituary made no mention of his training under Daniel Burnham, his role in shaping Chicago’s hotel architecture over two decades, or the later notoriety of his Lexington Hotel, which served as Al Capone’s headquarters from 1928 to 1931. The obituary read in full:

“Clinton J. Warren SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 17 (AP). Clinton J. Warren, architect, who designed buildings in Europe, Mexico and Eastern United States, died at his home here last night at the age of 80. Mr. Warren formerly lived in Winchester, Mass. His widow and two sons, Clinton Jay Jr. of San Francisco and John of New York, survive.” see – TimesMachine: March 18, 1938 – NYTimes.com and The Chicago Hotels of Architect Clinton J. Warren – Owlcation – retrieved February 22, 2026.

Beaux-Arts elevator banks at 504 S. Michigan Avenue were installed in 1907. December 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.99mb DSC_0958 (2).

The Auditorium Annex and a Strategic Location

Originally known as the Auditorium Annex, the hotel opened in 1893 to accommodate the enormous influx of visitors attending the World’s Columbian Exposition. Remarkably, it has operated continuously as a hotel ever since and has also become well known for its reputed ghost hauntings.

Its location was one of its greatest advantages. The hotel stood only five blocks from both Dearborn Station and Illinois Central Station, making it the closest major hotel to two of Chicago’s principal railroad terminals. It was also the southernmost major hotel in downtown Chicago and sat just a block and a half from the elevated railway line that carried visitors directly to the exposition grounds in Jackson Park.

Expanded with the South Tower between 1902 and 1907 designed by Holabird & Roche and featuring the ornate Beaux-Arts gold elevator bank, the hotel grew to more than 1,000 rooms by 1908.

Expansion and the Famous Gold Elevators

The celebrated gold elevator bank is located in the hotel’s South Tower, an addition constructed between 1902 and 1907 and designed by the distinguished architectural firm Holabird & Roche. Executed in an ornate Beaux-Arts style, the elevators remain among the building’s most striking historic features.

The South Tower expansion also included the luxurious Gold Room banquet hall, reinforcing the hotel’s status as one of Chicago’s premier accommodations during the early twentieth century.see – Holabird & Roche. See- Chicago Landmarks – Architect Details – retrieved February 22, 2026.

William Holabird (1854-1923) and Martin Roche (1855-1927) of the architectural firm of Holabird & Roche designed the South Tower of today’s Congress Plaza Hotel between 1902 and 1907. Public Domain.

From Auditorium Annex to Congress Hotel

By 1908, the enlarged complex contained more than 1,000 guest rooms. In 1911, the property adopted the name Congress Hotel, a reference both to nearby Congress Parkway (today Ida B. Wells Drive) and its prominent location facing Grant Park.

Over the years, the hotel welcomed numerous American presidents. Among those who stayed there, and who may well have ridden these gilded elevators, were Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, and Calvin Coolidge. Today, the elevators stand as elegant reminders of the hotel’s origins in the era of the World’s Columbian Exposition and of its long history as one of Chicago’s most prominent grand hotels. See – Congress Plaza Hotel History | Congress Plaza Hotel – retrieved February 22, 2026.

Renamed the Congress Hotel in 1911, it has hosted numerous U.S. presidents and remains one of Chicago’s longest-operating and most historically significant hotels.

CHICAGO SKYLINE: The Shape of a Great City.

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Feature Image: Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.85mb DSCN1452 (1).

Chicago’s skyline demonstrates how architecture, engineering, and urban design combine to create one of the world’s most recognizable cityscapes, where individual landmarks become part of a larger visual composition of steel, stone, glass, light, and ambition.

Chicago skyline from Museum Campus promontory (Northerly Island). October 2016. Author’s photograph. 4.90mb DSC_0104 (1)

Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.85mb DSCN1452 (1).

Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue looking east, Chicago. From left: Trump International Hotel and Tower, Adrian Smith, architect (2009). Trump Tower Chicago is a 98-story skyscraper at 401 N Wabash Ave, completed in 2009. Rising 1,389 feet with its spire, it includes 486 condos, a 339-room hotel, and ranks as the 4th tallest building in the United States.

Wrigley Building, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, architect (1921).

Tribune Tower (partially hidden), Howells & Hood, architect (1925).

401 N Michigan Avenue (Equitable Building), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1965/Facelift 1992/Renovation 2016). The plaza (Pioneer Court) of the Miesian 401 N. Michigan draws over 22,000 pedestrians daily from busy Michigan Avenue. Apple’s global flagship store shares the plaza that provides immediate access to the Riverwalk via the Spanish Steps. see – 401 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 – Office for Lease | LoopNet – retrieved February 13, 2026.

360 N. Michigan Avenue (London Guarantee & Accident Building), Alfred S. Alschuler, architect (1923).

85 E. Wacker Drive (London House).

75 E. Wacker (formerly Lincoln Tower, originally Mather Tower), Herbert Hugh Riddle, architect (1928) and Harry Weese & Assocs. (Renovation/1983).

71 E. Wacker Drive (The Royal Sonesta Chicago Downtown, formerly Executive House Hotel), Milton Schwartz, architect (1959). 71 E. Wacker Drive is the first high-rise hotel in Chicago since the Great Depression. see – Executive House Hotel, 71 E. Wacker, Chicago – retrieved February 13, 2026.

Chicago. May 2015. Author’s photograph. 99% 7.92mb DSC_0468.

Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street looking west on Van Buren, Chicago. Left: Chicago Club, 81. E. Van Buren, Granger & Bollenbacher, architect (1929).

Right: CNA Center (333 S. Wabash Avenue), Graham, Anderson, Probst, architect (1972).

Near background: 333 S. State, DePaul Center (formerly Goldblatt’s, originally Rothschild & Co. Store), Holabird & Roche, architect (1912), renovation 1993.

Far background: Fisher Building (343 S. Dearborn Street), D.H. Burnham & Co., architect (1896) and Northern Addition, Peter J. Weber, architect (1907). Restoration and adaptive Reuse, 2001.

Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.28mb DSC_0061 (1)

Adams and Dearborn Streets looking north along Dearborn, Chicago. Left: 55 Xerox Center, 55 West Monroe, Chicago, Helmut Jahn, architect (1977-1980). Behind (partially hidden): Chase Tower (originally First National Bank of Chicago), Perkins & Will; C.F. Murphy Assocs. (1969).

Right: 33 W. Monroe, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architects (1980). Behind: Inland Steel Building, 30 W. Monroe, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architects (1954-1958).

Background: 2 N. State/1 N. Dearborn Streets (originally, Boston Store), Holabird & Roche (1906; 1917), renovation (2001).

Chicago. November 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.77mb DSC_0384 (1).

Halsted Street between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard looking east, Chicago. Union Station Tower (MidAmerica Commodity Exchange), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1971). Willis Tower (originally, Sears Tower), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1974).

Chicago. December 2015. Author’s photograph. 2.40mb DSC_0577 (2).

Balbo and Wabash Avenues looking north on Wabash. Left: (with Columbia College wall sign) 33 Ida B. Wells Drive building, Alfred S. Alschuler, architect, (1925/1926). DePaul University College of Law, 25 E. Jackson and, beyond, 230 S. Wabash, a 21-story building built in 1910.

Center: Trump International Hotel and Tower, Adrian Smith, architect (2009).

At right: Roosevelt University: Auditorium Building, Adler & Sullivan, architect (1887-1889) and The Wabash Building, a 32-story zigzagging glass structure, Christopher Groesbeck, AIA, architect (2012). CNA Center (333 S. Wabash Avenue), Graham, Anderson, Probst, architect (1972).

Chicago. December 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.60mb DSC_0986 (2)

From left: Old Colony Building, 407 S. Dearborn Street, Holabird & Roche, architect (1894), Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center, 71 W. Van Buren Street, Harry Weese & Associates (1975), Fisher Building, 342 S. Dearborn Street, D.H. Burnham, architect (1896) and Northern Addition, Peter Weber, architect (1907) and Sears Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1974).

Chicago. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 5.33mb DSC_0743 (1)

Lincoln Park looking over South Pond towards downtown. At left: (partial view) Water Tower Place, 845 N. Michigan Avenue, Loebl, Schlossman & Hackl, architect (1976); John Hancock Building, 875 N. Michigan Avenue, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1969); 900 North Michigan Avenue, Kohn Pedersen Fox, architect (1989); Park Tower, 800 N. Michigan Avenue, Lucien LaGrange & Assoc., architect (2000); The Aon Center (formerly, Amoco Building; originally, Standard Oil Building), 200 E. Randolph Street, Edward Durell Stone; Perkins & Will, architects (1973); Trump International Hotel and Tower, Adrian Smith, architect (2009); At right: James House, 1560 North Sandburg Terrace, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, architect (1971).

Chicago. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 3.28 mb DSC_0045 (1)

Looking north on Wabash Avenue from Randolph Street, the Chicago elevated train follows a north-south route along Wabash Avenue and has been part of downtown since the late 1890’s. The “Kemper” sign is on the relatively dull modernist Kemper Building, now One East Wacker, Shaw, Metz & Assoc., architect (1962). Followed by 35 East Wacker Drive (formerly Pure Oil Building; originally, Jewelers Building) with its distinctive dome, Glaver & Dinkelberg; Thielbar & Fugard, Assoc. Archs., architect (1926). Partial view is Trump Tower. 

Chicago. September 2016. Author’s photograph. 3.89mb DSC_0740 (1)

Right to left: The 233 E. Wacker Drive building (known as Columbus Plaza) in Chicago is 48-story apartment building, Fujikawa Conterato Lohan and Associates, architect (1978-1980).
The 111 E. Wacker Drive building (known as One Illinois Center) in Chicago, is a 30-story Modernist building featuring bronze anodized aluminum and dark-tinted glass, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in association with Joseph Fujikawa, architect (1967-1970).
The Swissôtel Chicago at 323 E. Wacker Drive, is a 45-story, triangular, all-glass luxury hotel, Harry Weese and Associates, architect (1989).  
The 345 E. Wacker Drive building (known as Coast at Lakeshore East) in Chicago is a 40-story residential apartment tower, bKL Architecture LLC, architect (2013).

Chicago. September 2016. Author’s photograph. 4.93mb DSC_0745 (1)

From the Riverwalk looking north along N. St. Clair Street: at right, the 27-story spandrel glass and metal panel 633 N. St Clair St. building, Loebl Schlossman [later; Dart] & Hackl, architect (1991).  
At left, the 63-story pinkish, rose-hued Swedish granite 161 Chicago Avenue East building (known as Olympia Centre) is a mixed-use retail, office, and residential skyscraper, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1984-85).
At right, the 74-story gray marble facade Water Tower Place, the first vertical shopping center on Michigan Avenue (8 floors), also includes the Ritz-Carlton hotel, luxury condos, and office space, Edward D. Dart (Loebl Schlossman Bennett and Dart), architect (1975).
The John Hancock Center—now officially 875 North Michigan Avenue—is a 100‑story, tapered mixed‑use skyscraper known for its iconic X‑bracing. Often described as a “vertical city,” it is considered one of the first major mixed‑use skyscrapers in the world and includes office space (floors 13–41), about 700 condominiums (floors 44–92), and the highest indoor swimming pool in North America on the 44th floor. Its 94th‑floor observation deck offers panoramic views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Bruce Graham of the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect (1969). It was engineered by Fazlur Rahman Khan, who pioneered the tubular structural system used in the tower.

Chicago. September 2016. Author’s photograph. 5.06mb DSC_0756 (2)

The Carbide and Carbon Building rises from 230 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago like a gleaming Art Deco toast to the Jazz Age, Burnham Brothers, architect (1929). The 37‑story tower is instantly recognizable: its base wrapped in polished black granite, its shaft clad in deep green terra cotta, and its crown shimmering with 24‑karat gold leaf. Legend has it the architects shaped the building to resemble a champagne bottle — a fitting symbol for a city that never stopped celebrating its own ambition.

Chicago. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.90mb.

Above: Alexander Calder’s Flamingo (1974) sits in Federal Plaza designed by modernist architect Mies Van Der Rohe. Behind it is Mies’ 45-floor John C. Kluczynski Building at 230 S. Dearborn Street and on a sunny east side of South Dearborn his 30-story Dirksen Federal Courthouse. Moving south across Jackson Boulevard is the 5-story 33 West Jackson Boulevard building built in 1910 (with additions/remodels stretching through 1917). Next to it is The Standard Club at 321 South Dearborn Street built in 1926 and designed by Albert Kahn. The Fisher Building (1896) at 343 South Dearborn Street and its annex is next further south. Designed by D.H. Burnham & Company, it was completed in 1896. The Old Colony building on the other side of the L tracks was built between 1893 and 1894, When it officially topped out, the 17-story, 215-foot high-rise briefly held the title of the tallest building in Chicago. It was designed by the legendary architectural firm of Holabird & Roche. The framework was engineered by Corydon T. Purdy who designed it with a highly advanced, pioneering skeletal steel-frame structure that carries the entirety of the building’s massive weight allowing the exterior features absolutely no self-supporting walls.

Chicago. June 2022. Author’s photograph. 7.24 mb

Above: On the west side of Clark Street between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard—visible directly behind Alexander Calder’s Flamingo sculpture—the prominent structures are from left to right: The Commercial Office Building located at 118 South Clark Street (directly tucked between the Bankers Building and Jackson Boulevard)—was completed in 1920 and designed by the prolific Chicago architectural firm Holabird & Roche, Willis Tower in the distance, The Bankers Building (105 West Adams Street, completed in 1927 by the Burnham Brothers, a 476-foot Art Deco masterpiece featuring characteristic deep light courts and upper-tier setbacks), and, on the other side of Adams Street, The Field Building at 140 S. Clark. Completed in 1934 by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, it stands as one of the finest premier masterpieces of Art Deco skyscraper design in the entire United States. A corner slice of the Edison Building is also pictured.

125 Feet of Steel Above the Calumet: How the 1958 Chicago Skyway Shaped Regional Transit.

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Feature image: Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge, 95th Street & S. Baltimore Avenue, Chicago. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 4.03mb DSC_0774 (1).

The massive steel infrastructure of the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge (specifically the “High Bridge” at 95th Street and S. Baltimore Avenue) represents a monumental feat of mid-20th-century engineering, combining structural strength, durability, and commercial utility with a striking architectural aesthetic.

This photograph of the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge (also known as the “Skyway”) is at the exact point where it spans the Calumet River and Calumet Harbor, a major harbor for industrial ships. Built by the City of Chicago in 1958 this massive steel undergirding is part of the 7.8 miles long expressway toll road that connects Chicago’s Dan Ryan freeway on the South Side to the Indiana Toll Road. The main feature of the Skyway is this half-mile long steel truss bridge known as the “High Bridge” whose maximum vertical clearance allowing ships and objects to pass safely underneath is 125 feet or about 10-12 building stories. The Chicago Skyway truss is primarily made of rolled and built-up steel beams for incredible weight-bearing strength, durability and functionality.

Chicago Skyway, 95th Street & Baltimore Avenue, Chicago. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 4.05 mb DSC_0772 (1)

This intersection is located on the city’s Far South Side in the South Chicago neighborhood. The area is heavily industrial, sitting just west of the Calumet River and directly underneath the massive steel framing of the Chicago Skyway High Bridge. The actual boundary of the city limits sits further east and south toward the Illinois-Indiana state line.

The Skyway was operated and maintained by the City of Chicago until January 2005 when Skyway Concession Company, LLC assumed its operations under a 99-year operating lease. The lease agreement between Skyway and the City of Chicago was the first privatization of an existing toll road in the United States. In February 2016, Skyway was purchased by three Canadian Pension Funds (OMERS Infrastructure, CPP Investment Board, and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan) and in December 2022 global toll road operator Atlas Arteria Group based in Australia, acquired 66.67% stake in the Skyway with OTPP retaining the rest. see – The Skyway – Chicago Skyway – retrieved December 19, 2025. While exact current figures go up and down, best estimates put daily vehicular traffic on the Chicago Skyway, both cars and trucks, at between 40,000 and 50,000 per day. see – FHWA – Center for Innovative Finance Support – Value Capture – Case Studies: Hays County, Texas Transportation Reinvestment Zones – retrieved December 19, 2025.

Chicago Skyway. 95th St. & Baltimore Ave. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 4.93mb DSC_0765 (1).

Chicago Skyway. 95th St. & Baltimore Ave. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 2.21mb DSC_0764 (1).

The 1958 steel truss undergirding serves a vital operational purpose—allowing massive industrial shipping to pass underneath into the Calumet River while carrying thousands of daily vehicles above—as it simultaneously serves as a compelling subject for architectural art.

Chicago Skyway. 95th St. & Baltimore Ave. July 2016. Author’s photograph. 5.13mb DSC_0769 (1).

National Shrine of St. Jude: The Chicago Church That Helped Inspire Danny Thomas to Found St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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FEATURE Image: The many prayer intentions received at the National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago are placed at the patron of hopeless cases’ devotional altar in the main sanctuary. These petitions are remembered at the National Shrine’s Masses and devotional prayers throughout the years. June 2018 80% 7.76mb DSC_9191. Author’s photograph.

Chicago’s National Shrine of St. Jude is more than a local religious landmark. It is a place where faith, devotion, and personal transformation intersect, most famously in the life of Danny Thomas, whose prayers to St. Jude here helped inspire a career that ultimately led to the founding of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The shrine stands as a living testament to the powerful role that religious faith and pilgrimage can play in individual lives and broader humanitarian endeavors.

The National Shrine of St. Jude at 3208 E. 91st Street on Chicago’s far southeast side at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish church was canonically established in 1929.  Its official decree was promulgated on November 15, 1929, by Chicago Cardinal Archbishop George Mundelein (1872-1939). June 2018 88% 7.72mb DSC_9173. Author’s photograph.

The pastor of the church at the time was Fr. James Tort, a Claretian missionary, who had a deep personal devotion to St. Jude, patron of hopeless cases and those that are almost despaired of. The saint, not to be confused with the traitor, Judas Iscariot, is honored by the church universally as the saint who brings visible and speedy help in most dire circumstances. A portrait of the founder of the Claretians, Spanish priest and bishop, St. Anthony Mary Claret (1807-1870), is one of the artworks that greet visitors into the main sanctuary. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is over the main altar. The devotional altar to St. Jude is right of the main altar. The altar to St. Jude contains a major relic of the saint: a piece of his bone. June 2018 84% 7.78 DSC_9177. Author’s photograph.

The shrine contains a major relic of St. Jude and serves as an active center of prayer and pilgrimage.

The shrine altar to St. Jude (right). In the darkest days of the Great Depression, Father Tort petitioned St. Jude with a request to help complete the parish church building for the people. In gratitude for the granting of this great favor. Fr. Tort promised to never cease to honor the saint, a true blood relative of Jesus and Mary, by dedicating a shrine altar to him in the church and to do all in his power to spread devotion to him. June 2018 2.29mb DSC_9186 (1). Author’s photograph.

This is one of the stained-glass windows in Chicago’s St. Jude Shrine. It depicts Jude preaching in Persia. Tradition holds that Saint Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya. He is also said to have visited Beirut. In addition to being patron of hopeless cases, Jude is patron of vegetarians. That Jude is portrayed holding an image of Jesus Christ has an interesting origin. During Jesus’s public ministry, a king had an incurable condition and was dying in Edessa. He sent a letter asking for Jesus to come. Instead of going himself, Jesus sent Jude. As Jude set out on this journey, Jesus pressed a cloth against His face, and when he gave it back to Jude, it had the Lord’s image on it. When St. Jude then went to the dying king in Edessa, and the king looked at the cloth with Christ’s miraculous impression, he was immediately healed. June 2018 6.47mbDSC_9184 (4). Author’s photograph.

Danny Thomas, struggling to establish himself in show business, learned of the shrine while in Chicago and prayed to St. Jude there for assistance. Soon afterward, Thomas received the career opportunity that launched him to national fame as a comedian, television star, and entertainer.

In 1940 when entertainer Danny Thomas (1912-1991) came to Chicago to do radio commercials, he found early success doing stand-up comedy in nightclubs. When work was finished, often around dawn, Thomas went to 6 a.m. Mass at St. Clement Church. There Thomas learned about Chicago’s National Shrine of St. Jude on the far southeast side. A couple of years earlier, Thomas, starting out in show business in Detroit— and with his first child, Marlo Thomas, on the way— had dedicated himself to St. Jude as the patron of hopeless cases. Soon after visiting and praying at the Chicago shrine, Thomas was offered a stand-up comedy job in New York City at La Martinique at 57 West 57th Street. This job launched his entertainment career into the big time. Following World War II, Thomas was performing for $3,750 a week at New York’s Roxy Theater just off Times Square and was performing in nightclubs across the country as well as offered film roles. In 1953 he starred in his own television show, Make Room for Daddy (later, The Danny Thomas Show). The sitcom ran for 11 consecutive seasons and became more popular with each year. By 1957 it was the no.2 show on television and, when the sitcom ended in 1964, it was in the top ten. PHOTO: “Danny thomas kayrouz” by Hany raymond rahme is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Remembering his promise to give back if he succeeded, Thomas founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis in 1962, creating one of the world’s most respected pediatric medical institutions.

Remembering St. Jude from his early days in Detroit and Chicago—and promising if he made it big he’d give back somehow— Danny Thomas in 1962 founded the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2020, St. Jude’s has expanded to eight affiliate hospitals across the United States. In 1996 one of its doctors in St. Jude’s Immunology Department was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology. The prize was for key discoveries on how the immune system works to kill virus-infected cells. PHOTO: “Have you heard of @StJude Children’s Research Hospital? Named for the patron saint of lost causes Danny Thomas founded St. Jude because he believed that ‘no child should die in the dawn of life.’ I’m homored to be invited to spend the next two days with t” by Leticia Barr @TechSavvyMama is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago was canonically established in 1929 and became one of the most important centers of devotion to St. Jude in the United States.

Altar of St. Jude, The National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago. St. Jude Thaddeus was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles and. legend has it, that it was Jude who was the groom at the wedding feast of Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine (John, chapter 2). Matthew states that Jude was one of the “brothers” of Jesus usually interpreted as a blood cousin. St. Jude, pray for us! June 2018 73% 7.89mb DSC_9182. Author’s photograph.

From Silent Films to Condos: The Life and Death of Chicago’s Village Art Theatre (1916-2007).

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FEATURE Image: February 2018. Village “Art” Theatre, 1548-50 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60610. The use of masks had been used in theatre since ancient times. They were usually tied to their dramatic source material and the inherent psychology of the characters. The Landmark Designation Report for the Village Theatre described this polychrome character head with musical instruments as “singing” in honor of the neighboring Germania Club, a German social club with its origins in men’s choral music. The head also wears a Baroque-style “wig” of oak leaves and acorns. In Germany, oak trees are revered, and acorns are a symbol of good luck. A decorative keystone on the theater’s round-arched window also has an acorn ornament. 88% 7.94mb DSC_4799 Author’s photograph.

The Village Art Theatre was more than a neighborhood movie house. It embodied Chicago’s early film culture, immigrant heritage, and evolving urban identity for over a century. Although the building itself was demolished in 2018, the survival of its historic façade highlights both the possibilities and limitations of preserving architectural memory amid redevelopment.

Historical Origins & Opening

Designed by architect Adolphe Woerner (born Stuttgart, Germany 1851- 1926), the Village (Art) Theatre opened as the Germania Theatre on July 29, 1916 and closed in its 91st year in March 2007. The building was erected by German-born Frank Schoeninger exclusively as a movie theater for $75,000 (about $2.2 million in 2025) and leased for an annual $7,000 rent (about $205,000 today) to Herman L. Gumbiner (Germany, 1879- 1952, Santa Monica, Calif.) in a 10-year contract with his company, The Villas Amusement Company (later Gumbiner Theatrical Enterprises).

The Rise of Neighborhood Movie Houses

By 1910, buildings erected solely for the purpose to showcase motion pictures were becoming increasingly popular as the appetite to consume the latest silent motion pictures out of Hollywood was booming everywhere. These neighborhood movie houses, larger than dingy storefront nickelodeons and yet smaller than flamboyantly ornate vaudeville theatres, had movie “palace” touches while fitted conveniently into Chicago’s many local commercial strips.

Scale, Survival, and Target Audience

Nearly all of these first-generation movie theaters in Chicago have been demolished or remodeled for other purposes including those larger-scale theaters developed by major theater operators such as Balaban and Katz, Lubliner and Trinz, and the Marks Brothers. While those palatial theatres could hold between 2,000 and 4,000 movie-goers the Village Theatre, one of the last and best first generation movie houses to survive for so long, originally held 1,000 spectators. Originally named the Germania Theater because it was next door to the Germania Club, it looked to attract affluent club members to its flicks.

The theater reflected the strong German-American presence in the neighborhood through its decorative symbols and association with the neighboring Germania Club.

The Germania Theatre was built in 1916 on Frank Schoeninger’s open land pictured above between the Germania Club (completed in 1889) and his tavern and hotel on the corner of Clark Street and North Avenue. In 1986 the Germania Club, citing the dwindling numbers of members, finally disbanded. Public Domain.

Herman Gumbinger and Expansion to Los Angeles

Herman Gumbinger was a major film exhibitor who was busy in Chicago building his independent theatre chain in the 1910’s, with several new movie house projects and acquisitions throughout the city’s northside primarily. After building Chicago’s first independent movie house chain in the teens, Gumbinger relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1921 where he built the famous Los Angeles Theatre in the Broadway Historic Theatre District of Downtown L.A. Erected at a cost of over $1.5 million ($31 million today) and designed by renowned movie theatre architect S. Charles Lee (1899-1990) Gumbinger’s theatre premiered Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights. Gumbinger Theatrical Enterprises finally dissolved in 1943.

Herman Gumbinger (1879-1956), c. 1924, built Chicago’s first independent movie chain, including what became the Village Art Theatre. By the end of the 1920s, Chicago had more than thirty of these movie palace theaters. Among its holdings, Herman Gubinger and his brothers operated the New Blaine which was renamed and is today the Music Box Theatre. Public Domain.

Neighborhood Context and Architectural Design

The Germania was one of the first-generation movie theatres built at the intersection of three Chicago neighborhoods – Gold Coast to the south and east, Old Town to the north and west and Lincoln Park to the north. An architectural mix of styles including Classical Revival (triangle pediments, pilasters and cornice with dentils fashioned in terra cotta) and Renaissance Revival (rusticated exterior and round-arched windows with keystones), the movie house also incorporated Germanic symbolism in its details reflecting the area’s then prominent ethnic group.

WWI Impact and a Century of Name Changes

During World War One, in a wave of anti-German sentiment, The Germania Club renamed itself the Lincoln Club. It changed its name back in 1921. The Germania Theatre changed its name to the Parkside and never looked back. In 1931 until 1962 it was known as the Gold Coast theatre. Meanwhile, prohibition closed down Frank Schoeninger’s tavern and he left for Wisconsin. In the 1960’s the theatre was updated and renamed the Globe Theatre. In 1967 the building was renamed the Village Theatre after it survived being demolished by the nearby Sandburg Village development.

Sandburg Village is a Chicago urban renewal project consisting of eight high-rise buildings, a mid-rise building and 60 townhomes and artists’ lofts. The development was first occupied In 1963 and completed in 1971. In the early 1960’s the Village Theatre was to be incorporated into the project until its landowner refused to sell. PHOTO: “20190323 08 Carl Sandburg Village (49490506022)” by David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

February 2018. The Village Theatre in the last days before its demolition. Its marquee from the 1960’s has been removed. The Village Theatre sat across the street from Latin School of Chicago at North and Clark Streets in Gold Coast/Old Town. In its Landmark Designation Report, the Village Theatre façade is described as having “a symmetrical arrangement, with a central theater entrance and separate entrances to the upstairs offices at opposite ends of the building. Each upper-story entrance has a deeply-recessed alcove lined with brick and white, carved-wood panels. A limestone slab step, inset with hexagonal tiles, is inside each alcove. Each alcove is framed with white terra cotta and brick pilasters on a base of gray terra cotta, made to imitate granite. The pilasters are topped with a triangular, white terra-cotta pediment.” 70% 7.93 mb DSC_4797. Author’s photograph.

Architectural Features and Exterior Appearance

The original two-story façade of red pressed brick and white beige glazed terra cotta decoration competed with a sizeable modern marquee that was removed before its demolition in 2018.

Personal Memories and Moviegoing Experiences

Since after college I was living in Chicago in the 1980s and 1990s, I saw several films at the Village Theatre before it became a multi-plex in 1991 such as House of Games, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street (1987), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), Russia House (1990). In early 1991 the interior of the theater was divided into four screens, and I didn’t stop going to movies there–JFK (1991), Michael Collins (1996), The Red Violin (1999) and more– but not as frequently. Anyway, I moved essentially out of neighborhood in 1995 and sold my condo soon afterwards. The Village Art Theatre in Chicago officially closed as a movie venue in March 2007.

The theater underwent several name changes, including Parkside, Gold Coast, Globe, and finally Village Theatre, adapting to changing audiences and neighborhoods.

Demolition and Modern Condominium Redevelopment

In April 2018, the Village Theatre and neighboring buildings along North Avenue were completely demolished to make way for construction of a condominium building. The ornate Clark Street frontage was stabilized as everything else crumbled to dust around it. The façade was repurposed to serve as the entrance for the new condo development known as Fifteen Fifty on the Park with units priced at opening at $1.625 to $5.85 million.

Beginning in 1969, it became associated with art-house cinema through screenings connected to the Chicago International Film Festival, leading to its “Village Art Theatre” identity. Its run as a core festival venue ended following the October 1989 run.

The Village Theatre took the moniker Village Art Theatre after The Chicago International Film Festival used the Village Theatre as a venue to screen “art house” films starting in 1969. In early 1991, the historic 900-seat single auditorium was completely gutted and divided into four smaller screens. This structural partition broke up the grand theater space, ending its era as a primary, large-format host for the main international film festival tracks. October 2004. PHOTO: “Village Art Theatre” by BWChicago is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

The Village Theatre had at least three distinctive marquees during its history. The first was the original vertical Germania sign, removed almost as soon as it was installed because of anti-German sentiment during World War I. It was followed by a horizontal awning-style marquee, similar to that of Chicago’s Biograph Theater at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, installed during the theater’s years as the Gold Coast. The third was the dramatic prow-shaped marquee shown here, paired with steel-and-glass doors and believed to date from the mid-1960s renovations undertaken when the movie house operated as the Globe. PHOTO: “Germania (Parkside, Gold Coast, Globe, Village) Theatre, Chicago, IL” by BWChicago is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

Demolished in 2018 for a luxury condominium development, the building’s ornate façade was retained and incorporated into the new project. October 2018. Author’s collection.

The rear of the 102-year-old Village Theatre before its impending destruction in 2018.  PHOTO: “Germania (Parkside, Gold Coast, Globe, Village) Theatre, Chicago, IL” by BWChicago is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

The Village Art Theatre was one of Chicago’s earliest purpose-built neighborhood movie palaces, constructed during the rapid growth of motion-picture exhibition. The building’s history captures its full arc as an architectural, cultural, and neighborhood landmark, ending with the forever tension between preservation and redevelopment.

This explanatory article may be periodically updated.

SOURCES:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Village_Theatre.pdf – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/2/28/18233421/condo-construction-village-theater-fifteen-fifty-park – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://www.urbanremainschicago.com/news-and-events/2018/06/03/chicagos-historic-village-theater-reduced-to-facedectomy-after-auditorium-demolished?fbclid=IwAR1IIsjQszVYuZ2mMhNy5QD1LHLP4UcAW-SmxegKhc2xZ2BeTLJUAng4YmY – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/409 – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107764067/adolf-woerner – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://buildingupchicago.com/tag/avoda-group/ – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://www.friedrich-verlag.de/friedrich-plus/sekundarstufe/schultheater/theatertheorie/maskerade-im-theater-und-im-alltag-3524 – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23567141/herman_louis-gumbiner# – retrieved May 3, 2025.

https://www.chicagohistory.org/germania-club/ – retrieved May 5, 2025.

Built to Grow: The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower (1997/2010) and Chicago’s Vertical Expansion Experiment.

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FEATURE image: Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower building, 300 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois. Day and Night. It was designed by Goettsch Partners (GP) an architecture firm based in Chicago, with additional offices in Denver and Shanghai. November 2017. Author’s photographs.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower embodies a forward-thinking approach to urban architecture, demonstrating how a major corporate skyscraper can be designed for future growth while remaining integrated into Chicago’s evolving skyline. Its significance lies not only in its appearance but in its innovative two-stage construction, which allowed the tower to expand vertically without relocating its occupant.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower sits on the northeast corner of East Randolph Street and Columbus Drive in Chicago, Illinois. It is on the north side of Millennium Park. The tower is the headquarters of Health Care Services Corporation, a company founded in 1936 and based in Chicago, Illinois. HCSC is the licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association that provides health insurance to more than 115 million people in the U.S. as of 2022.

Views are from inside Millennium Park. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower was built in two stages. The first stage was the original 32-story building completed by Lohan Associates (today Goettsch Partners) in 1997. It was built with the potential for a vertical expansion so that the client could grow in the same location. An expansion occurred in 2007 with a 24-story addition completed in 2010. It became the first building project in downtown Chicago that built upon an existing tower. Author’s photograph. All rights reserved. November 2017 7.38 mb 3417 (1)

Originally built as a 33-story structure (with three floors underground) in 1997, a 24-story vertical addition was constructed between 2007 and 2010, bringing the tower to its current height. It became the first downtown Chicago building project to expand upward on top of an existing tower.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower (second from right) in its setting on the north side of Millennium Park which was established in 1998. From left: One Prudential Plaza (1955), Two Prudential Plaza (1990), Aon Center (1973/1994). The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower is next to the Aon Center with original plans to connect the two buildings via an underground pedway but did not come to fruition. Author’s photograph. All rights reserved. November 2017 5.76mb 3397 (1)

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower was designed by Jim Goettsch, chairman of Goettsch Partners. Author’s photograph. All rights reserved. November 2017 99% 7.41mb 3480

Occupying a prominent location along the north edge of Millennium Park, it serves as the headquarters of Health Care Service Corporation, linking corporate growth to one of Chicago’s most visionary modern architectural designs.

SOURCES:

Website / PDF Fact Sheet

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. “Blue Facts Sheet-2022.” 2022. PDF. https://www.bcbs.com/sites/default/files/file-attachments/page/Blue_Facts_Sheet-2022.pdf (accessed August 7, 2024).

Newspaper Article

Japsen, Bruce. “24 More Stories Coming to Blue Cross Building.” Chicago Tribune, July 26, 2006.

Book

Sinkevitch, Alice, ed. AIA Guide to Chicago. 2nd ed. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2004.

Website Homepages

Goettsch Partners. Home page. https://www.gpchicago.com/ (accessed August 7, 2024).

Millennium Park Foundation. “The Foundation.” https://millenniumparkfoundation.org/the-foundation/ (accessed August 7, 2024).

Building a Monumental Landmark: Harold Washington Library (1991) and Chicago’s Civic Identity.

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FEATURE image: The Harold Washington Library sits on the northwest corner of State Street and Ida B. Wells (Congress) Drive. It is recognized as one of the largest public library buildings in the world. November 2017. Author’s photograph. 5.02 mb.

The Harold Washington Library Center is a landmark of late 20th-century Chicago architecture that successfully combines the civic grandeur of traditional monumental buildings with a distinctly postmodern design vocabulary, while serving as both a major public institution and a lasting tribute to Mayor Harold Washington.

The decorative pediment of stylized aluminum sculptures was designed by Kent Bloomer in 1993. With enormous owls at each of the pediment’s four corners (“acroteria”), the large sculptures represent growth and wisdom. see – Harold Washington Library Center | Chicago Architecture Center – retrieved February 16, 2026. November 2017. Author’s photograph. 5.02 mb.

Designed by Hammond, Beeby & Babka after winning the 1987 competition for Chicago’s new central library. Completed in 1991 and remains one of the firm’s best-known works.

In 1987, Hammond, Beeby and Babka won the competition to design the main branch of Chicago’s library. The Harold Washington Library was completed in 1991 and is one of the Chicago-based architectural firm’s most famous structures. The building recalls neo-classical institutional buildings yet whose style is creatively applied in its details.

PHOTO: “Harold Washington (9519692588)” by City of Boston Archives from West Roxbury, United States is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Harold Washington Library Center (1991) is named in honor of Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor, whose election in April 1983 reshaped the city’s political landscape. Re-elected in 1987, Washington served until his sudden death later that year, leaving a legacy of reform, civic engagement, and expanded political representation. Today, the building stands not only as a tribute to his leadership but also as one of the world’s largest public library facilities, serving as the principal research branch of the Chicago Public Library.

The Harold Washington Library is named for Chicago’s first Black mayor. Harold Washington (1922-1987) was elected to two terms as mayor starting in 1983. The well-read and erudite mayor died suddenly of a heart attack the day before Thanksgiving in November1987 just a few months into his second term. I was running along the lakefront in Lincoln Park on an overcast day when I heard the news on my Walkman. My fiancée and I were one of the thousands of Chicagoans (and one of the few whites) who passed by his open casket in the lobby of City Hall between November 27 and 29, 1987. I had also seen and heard Harold Washington speak a couple of times during his public appearances as mayor.

FROM THE PROGRAM: “The jury becomes the ultimate client…There are three areas of evaluation: the design of the building; how it meets technical specifications and how it fulfills the library program…•

Five competing architecture teams race to create the vision for the new Harold Washington (Chicago Public Main) Library that opened at 400 S. State Street on October 7, 1991. The Burnham-dreamed park south across Congress/Ida B. Wells from the library never materialized (Pritzker Park is to the north). The NOVA episode follows these creators as they develop and present their ideas to be judged by the city and public for the downtown building that range from postmodern to Beaux-Arts design concepts. FROM THE PROGRAM: “The jury becomes the ultimate client…There are three areas of evaluation: the design of the building; how it meets technical specifications and how it fulfills the library program…•

State Street entrance. Chicago. July 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.84mb

The design recalls neoclassical institutional architecture but reinterprets it through creative postmodern details.

North facade. July 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.01mb DSC_0056 (1)

Harold Washington Library was conceived as more than a repository of books. Its monumental design reflects Chicago’s belief that public architecture can embody civic identity, cultural aspiration, and democratic ideals.

Southeast corner. July 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.52 mb DSC_0004 (2)

Interior views highlight the building’s function as a major cultural and educational resource, housing millions of items and specialized collections.

Main floor entrance. see – Harold Washington Library | Loop Chicago – retrieved February 16, 2026. May 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.85mb DSC_0474 (1).

The Harold Washington Library houses millions of items across nine floors. At 750,000 square feet, it is the largest public library building in the world. see – Harold Washington Library | Loop Chicago – retrieved February 16, 2026. May 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.0 mb DSC_0476 (1)

Study Room. May 2015. Author’s photograph.4.88mb DSC_0488 (1)

On the 8th floor the Visual and Performing Arts Department maintains a comprehensive music archive. One major collection, for example, is the Martin and Morris Collection which contains roughly 1,500 scores from the renowned gospel music publisher. May 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.61mb DSC_0486.

The photographs document the library from multiple perspectives, emphasizing its urban presence, monumental scale, and role within the Chicago streetscape.

Harold Washington Library after dark. December 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.7mb DSC_0980 (3)

This explanatory article may be periodically updated.

SOURCES:

https://www.architecture.org/learn/resources/architecture-dictionary/entry/hammond-beeby-and-babka – retrieved August 6, 2024.

AIA Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition, Alice Sinkevitch, Harcourt, Inc., Orlando, 2004, p. 60.

FURTHER READING:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/architecture-design/2025/08/02/harold-washington-library-officials-new-chapter-institution?tpcc=cst_cm – retrieved August 4, 2025.

Dearborn Street Station (1885): Echoes of Chicago’s Rail Empire and Last Great Link to the Railroad Age.

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FEATURE Image: Completed in 1885 at a cost of $500,000 (equivalent to nearly $16 million in 2024), Dearborn Street Station in Chicago’s South Loop stood as a grand Romanesque composition of Italian brick and granite. Its architect, New Yorker Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz, would later design One Times Square (1904), the famed Manhattan tower that has served as the site of the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop since 1908. see – https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1885?amount=500000 – retrieved February 27, 2024. November 2017. Author’s photograph. 6.44mb

Dearborn Street Station is one of Chicago’s most significant surviving railroad landmarks, embodying the city’s rise as a national transportation hub while showcasing the architectural achievement of Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz. Despite fire, alteration, and the end of passenger rail service, the station endures as a rare and tangible link to Chicago’s railroad age and urban development.

The Hoosier leaving Dearborn Street Station in Chicago (its clock tower visible at right) for Indianapolis. Public Domain (Pre-1978, no mark).

The Dearborn Street Station in Chicago with its original hipped roofs, including on the tower, c. 1908. Public Domain.

The Dearborn Street Station is Chicago’s oldest existing train station though it has not operated as one since 1971. It is a U-shaped Italian brick three-story Romanesque structure with a granite base that was originally 80 feet tall to the roof line.

The 32-year-old architect of Dearborn Street Station, Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz, came from an illustrious East Coast family of builders and architects.

Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz who built the Dearborn Street Station in Chicago in 1885 was from an influential American family of architects and builders—his father, Leopold Eidlitz (1823-1908), was a founder of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz is best known for designing One Times Square, the former New York Times Building, on Times Square in 1904. He also founded HLW International, one of the oldest architecture firms in the United States. The reconstruction of Dearborn Station in Chicago in 1923 following its devastating fire was done by an unknown architect two years after Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz’s death.

Original facade completed in 1904 of One Times Square in 1919 by Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz who designed and built the Dearborn Station in Chicago in 1885. Public Domain.

Dearborn Street Station (1885) is Chicago’s oldest surviving railroad terminal building. Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz designed the station in a robust Romanesque style using Italian brick and a granite base.

Today’s flat roof is a modification by an unknown architect from its elaborate original hipped roof that was lost in a 1922 fire. The eye-catching Flemish tower, originally 166 feet tall, was also modified after the same conflagration. The station building marks the southern terminus of Dearborn Street which today extends about 4 miles to its northern terminus at the southern boundary of Lincoln Park. Author’s photograph.

Looking south to the Dearborn Street Station which sits at the southern terminus of the 4-mile downtown Dearborn Street corridor. PHOTO: “South Dearborn Street” by Reading Tom is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The station’s frontage on Polk Street extends 212 feet. Originally the station extended 446 feet south along Plymouth Court with the train sheds 600 feet long with 8 tracks. The station’s train shed was demolished in 1976. In 1986 the station was converted to offices and shops (I had my Bank One branch in the Polk Street Station). Today it is the Dearborn Station Galleria in the South Loop Printing House Historic District.

Following demolition of the train sheds in 1976 the first phase of the Dearborn Park residential development south of the Dearborn Street Station building quickly sprang to life.

The 1885 clock tower of the Dearborn Street Station is visible at the left. Open land which for almost 100 years had been the Dearborn Street Station‘s busy train tracks into a shed equal to two football fields in length were cleared off to make room for Dearborn Park residential development. The photograph is dated from 1977 by William C. Brubaker. PHOTO: “Site for Dearborn Park residential development” by UIC Library Digital Collections is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Its distinctive clock tower and monumental presence made it a defining feature of Chicago’s South Loop.

Dearborn Station Clock Tower. PHOTO: “Dearborn Station Clock Tower” by Atelier Teee is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Dearborn Station had 8 tracks that accommodated 12 coaches and engines with 122 trains arriving and departing daily. The station served as a major transportation gateway, accommodating numerous railroads.

Chicago & Eastern Illinois (1877-1976):

C&EI The Danville – Chicago Flyer at Steger, Illinois on November 26, 1965. Public Domain.

Map of the Dixie Route to Florida and connecting lines, published by the C&EI, L&N, and NC&StL railroads, 1926. Public Domain.

Preferred Share of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Company, issued 1889. Public Domain.

Chicago and Atlantic Railway, (later the Chicago and Erie Railroad, 1871-1941):

Chicago and Atlantic Railway 1889 ad featuring The New York and Chicago Vestibule Limited. Public Domain.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (1859-1996):

AT&SF passenger train, c. 1895. Public Domain.

Map of “The Santa Fé Route” and subsidiary lines, as published in an 1891 issue of the Grain Dealers and Shippers Gazetteer. Public Domain.

Louisville, New Albany & Chicago, or Monon (1897-1971):

Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway, route map, 1903, Unknown author – Poor’s Manual of the Railroads of the United States. Public Domain.

Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company (1859-1991):

A 1976 map of the proposed routes to be turned over by Conrail on the GTW, DT&I and P&LE. Public Domain.

Grand Trunk Western Railroad locomotive shop, Battle Creek, Michigan, 1908. GT Western RR was one of the lines into Dearborn Street Station in Chicago. Public Domain.

The Wabash Railroad (1837-1964):

1886 map of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway. Public Domain.

System timetable back and front cover, 1887. Public Domain.

Wabash system map, early 20th century. Public Domain.

The Erie Railroad (1832-1960):

An 1855 map of the New York and Erie Railroad. Public Domain.

Chicago & Western Indiana (1880-present):

The Kansas City Chief at Dearborn Station on February 5, 1968. The glowing face of the station clock in the clocktower is visible upper-left. Photograph by A Roger Puta. Public Domain.

All lines operating into Dearborn Station, except for the Santa Fe (above), travelled over the C&WI.

Colossal damages in December 1922 fire.

On December 21, 1922, fire destroyed the roof of the Dearborn Street Station.  The blaze started on the third floor and raged throughout that top floor. Hundreds of passengers and employees were safely evacuated and there was one reported injury. The Chicago Tribune reported that when the fire reached the central tower it roared up the long shaft which became a blazing torch. The crowds watched in amazement as the tower clock stopped and the hands on its three faces crashed into the raging fire below.

The original ornate steeply pitched tiled roofs and dormers were lost in a fire in 1922 and not replaced.

At far left the 1885 clock tower of the Dearborn Street Station can be seen along Dearborn Street in downtown Chicago. June 2022. Author’s photograph.

SOURCES:

AIA Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition, Alice Sinkevitch, Harcourt, Inc., Orlando, 2004, p. 154.

History of Development of Building Construction in Chicago, Second Edition, Frank A. Randall, Revised and Expanded by  John D. Randall, University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 1999, pp. 104-105 and 221-223.

Chicago’s Famous Buildings, 5th Edition, Franze Schulze and Kevin Harrington, The University of Chicago Press, 2003, pp. 89-90.

http://www.connectingthewindycity.com/2017/12/december-21-1922-dearborn-station.html – retrieved February 27, 2024.

Let There Be Light: Abraham Rattner’s Masterpiece at the Chicago Loop Synagogue (1957).

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FEATURE image: Chicago Loop Synagogue with stained glass window, Let There Be Light (1960) by American Expressionist artist Abraham Rattner (1895-1978). The synagogue was built in 1957 with this wall of stained glass. The colorful and semi-abstract artwork contrasts and complements with the architectural minimalism of the rest of the sanctuary. October 2015. Author’s photograph.

The Chicago Loop Synagogue is a remarkable fusion of mid-century modern architecture, Jewish religious symbolism, and monumental art, demonstrating how modern design can create a powerful expression of faith, identity, and spiritual experience.

Chicago Loop Synagogue, exterior. May 2024. Author’s photograph. 97% 7.89 mb

Chicago Loop Synagogue on Clark Street in downtown Chicago. PHOTO: “Chicago Loop Synagogue” by _jjph is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Chicago Loop Synagogue was a midcareer project for a pair of leading Chicago Jewish architects of Modernism — Jerrold Loebl (1899–1978) and Norman Schlossman (1901– 1990). Loeble was a son of Hungarian immigrants and Schlossman was the grandson of immigrants from Germany. Both graduated from the Armour Institute (today’s Illinois Institute of Technology) and became partners in 1925. The third partner changed over the decades and in 2024 the firm is Loebl, Schlossman, & Hackl. Following World War II, the firm was Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett and the team created influential examples of Chicago’s mid-century Modernism. Richard Marsh Bennett (1907-1996) had been chairman of the Yale Architecture Department and stayed with the firm until 1974 when he returned to teach at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. The architectural firm’s designs included Weiss Memorial Hospital (4646 N Marine Drive) and The Darien (3100 N. Lake Shore Drive ) also built in the 1950s.

Chicago Loop Synagogue: Exterior Façade. May 2014. Author’s photograph. 4.58mb DSC_0057 (1).

Above: The exterior of the Chicago Loop Synagogue (above), located at 16 South Clark Street in downtown Chicago. Designed by the prominent mid-century modernist architectural firm Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett, the building was completed in 1957–1958 and occupies a compressed, mid-block urban footprint of roughly 5,000 square feet. Hemmed in closely by soaring office buildings, the synagogue makes a deliberate statement of scale and transparency rather than sheer height. The front wall embraces reserved mid-century minimalism. At street level, it features clear floor-to-ceiling storefront glass that allows a seamless view into the stone-lined lobby. Above the ground floor rises a monumental grid wall of muted, industrial-scale metal and glass framing panels. Capping the massive glass wall is a distinctive, jagged tripartite metal cornice or canopy. These three structural gables jut outward over the sidewalk, adding a playful, geometric crown to an otherwise stark grid facade. The copper/bronze material has weathered into a deep green verdigris hue.

PHOTO: “Hands of Peace | Chicago Loop Synagogue” by _jjph is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Above and below: Perched directly over the main entry doors is a two-ton bronze sculpture titled Hands of Peace (1963), created by the acclaimed Israeli sculptor Henri Azaz (Nehemia Azaz). The abstract composition features a jumble of bold letters cascading over one another. Emerging directly from the text is a massive pair of stylized, open human hands sloping down toward the street.

Chicago Loop Synagogue: Hands of Peace. May 2014. Author’s photograph. 4.28mb DSC_0055 (3).

Above: The tumbled letters shape the words of the priestly benediction (the Birkat Kohanim) from the Book of Numbers (6:24–26) in both English and Hebrew. The sculpture spells out: “The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee… and give thee peace.” The pair of down-sloping bronze hands mimic the physical stance used by the Kohanim (priests) when delivering a blessing over a congregation. By suspending this gesture directly over the sidewalk, the architecture acts as an open, perpetual blessing bestowed upon all downtown workers, visitors, and passersby stepping into or walking past the sanctuary.

Glass doors with wooden handles define the main entrance into Loop Synagogue off busy Clark Street in Downtown Chicago. PHOTO: “Chicago Loop Synagogue” by _jjph is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Chicago Loop Synagogue. September 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.73 mb

Above: The Ten Commandments meet the visitors in the foyer upon entering synagogue. For Jews, the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5: 6-21 are a special set of spiritual laws that the LORD Himself wrote on two stone tablets (luchot) that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. In the Scriptures these laws are called the “Aseret Ha Devarim,” the “ten words” or “ten utterances.” In rabbinical writings, they are usually referred to as “Aseret Ha Dibrot,” and in Christian theological writings they are called the Decalogue which is derived from the Greek name “dekalogos” (“ten statements”) found in the Septuagint (Exodus 34:28 and Deuteronomy 10:4), which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name. To the Jews the Torah has a total of 613 commandments which includes the ten from the Decalogue. 

Chicago Loop Synagogue. October 2015. Author’s photograph.5.04mb DSC_0034 (1)

Above: The synagogue’s Memorial space centers on the Memorial Window, a stained-glass work designed by American Expressionist artist Abraham Rattner (1895–1978). Created around 1960–1961, it coincided with the design and installation of his monumental three-story masterpiece, Let There Be Light, in the main sanctuary. Rendered in brilliant blues, golds, and emerald greens, the window presents a dynamic composition of symbolic Jewish imagery and occupies the landing of the main staircase and ramp system connecting the street-level lobby with the lower-level Beit Midrash (house of study) and social hall.

The walls on both sides are lined with illuminated Yahrzeit plaques commemorating past members of the congregation. Within this contemplative setting, Rattner’s window introduces a radiant note of hope, evoking eternal life, cosmic time, and the enduring cycles of Jewish tradition.

The window’s imagery incorporates a wide range of Jewish symbols. At left, a Hebrew inscription quotes Exodus 12:2 concerning the renewal of months: “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months…” Circular medallions depict symbols associated with major Jewish festivals, including the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, a basket representing the Seven Species, and the Lulav and Etrog used during Sukkot. In the upper left section, the Magen David (Star of David) appears alongside stylized references to the modern State of Israel. The lower portions of the composition incorporate views of ancient Jerusalem and the Western Wall, linking the themes of memory and renewal to Judaism’s historic spiritual center.

Author’s photograph.

PHOTO: “Chicago Loop Synagogue” by _jjph is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Above: The dramatic contrasts and geometric rigor of The Chicago Loop Synagogues’ Mid-Century Modernist design are evident throughout the sanctuary. Long, sweeping rows of custom-designed wooden pews extend the length of the space, reflecting the era’s characteristic blend of corporate efficiency and spiritual order. A massive floating balcony cantilevers boldly over the rear portion of the sanctuary, emphasizing the building’s structural daring.

The wall beneath and behind the balcony is clad in dark, vertically grooved wood paneling, creating a rich visual counterpoint to the monumental sanctuary wall beyond. Rising to its full height, this soaring surface is constructed of large, ashlar-patterned stone blocks, whose rough, matte texture provides a powerful sense of permanence. The monolithic masonry evokes the ancient stone architecture of Jerusalem while remaining firmly rooted in a clean Modernist aesthetic.

Overhead, a matte-black, non-reflective ceiling seems to hover above the congregation, punctuated by precisely placed recessed spotlights. Their pinpoints of light resemble a star-filled night sky, dissolving the boundaries of the ceiling and enhancing the sanctuary’s remarkable sense of height and openness.

The limestone blocks of the North wall are cut at an angle to evoke the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew text inscribed on the wall is the Shema Yisrael, which is the central prayer and declaration of faith in Judaism. In English, it translates to: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” October 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.41mb DSC_0970

The Holy Ark is made by Israeli sculptor and ceramicist Henri Azaz (1923-2008). Jutting into the prayer space from the far-left corner of the window, Rattner incorporated the ark that would house the Torah scrolls. The artist surrounded the ark with flames, integrated into the glass. leaping up and out, drawing attention to the presence of God in the very heart of the sanctuary. PHOTO: “Chicago Loop Synagogue” by _jjph is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Chicago Loop Synagogue is a house of worship that is three floors, 450 seats, six Torahs, and a 40-foot-tall stained-glass window that fills the Eastern façade and congregation with filtered sunlight. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.25 mb DSC_0990

The Chicago Loop Synagogue was founded in 1929 to serve the religious needs of those whose business activities brought them downtown. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.43 mb DSCN1463 (1)

PHOTO: “Chicago Loop Synagogue” by _jjph is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Visitors to the Chicago Loop Synagogue in the Main Sanctuary are guided by one of its members. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.26mb DSC_0019

Main Sanctuary. October 2015. Author’s photograph. 91% 7.77mb DSC_0969 (1)

Abraham Rattner, the Expressionist artist of the wall-filling colorful stained-glass window was born in Poughkeepsie, New York to a Russian-Jewish father and a Romanian-Jewish mother. Rattner studied to be architect but turned to painting studying at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C. and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Rattner served as a camouflage artist in France during World War I and, after the war, joined many of “the Lost Generation” that writer and critic Gertrude Stein spoke about when referencing the post- war Ernest Hemingway and many others who lived in Europe, mainly Paris, in the 1920s. Rattner lived in Paris for 20 years, from 1920 until late 1939 where, during that extensive time period, he met Claude Monet (1840-1926). To avoid the coming Nazi invasion of France, Rattner and his wife Bettina Bedwell (1889-1947), a journalist and fashion illustrator from Nebraska who studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and who married in 1924, returned to America, where they lived in New York City. Rattner was known for his rich use of color and abstraction in his artwork and whose subject matter often had to do with religion. In the post-World War II era he taught at several schools, including New York’s The New School (1947–55) and at Yale University (1952-1953). In 1949 Rattner married Esther Gentle (1899 – 1991), an artist and art dealer, and was a friend of writer Henry Miller (1891-1980) who wrote about their friendship in 1968 in A Word About Abraham Rattner.

October 2015. Author’s photograph. 7.77 mb 91% DSC_0977
The colors and design elements of this 31 x 40-foot glass artwork signify God’s relationship with the cosmos, humanity, and the Jewish people. After two years working on conceptual and design schemes, the artist Abraham Rattner spent a year fabricating the window – a presentation of cool blues and warm red and yellows studded with purples that take on shapes of planets, trees, Hebrew letters and the Israelite tribes. It was made in Paris’s 15th arrondissement at Atelier Barillet, the house and workshop of master glassmaker Louis Barillet (1880-1948). The artwork was the subject of a 1976 exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and a 1978 exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The window was made to fit inside the prayer space for which it was created. To create the stained-glass work, Rattner drew inspiration from the opening passages of Genesis, focusing on the hidden meanings of the words “And there was light” to channel cosmic creative energies of the Divine.

October 2015. Author’s photograph. 5.62 mb DSC_0023 (1)
Above: The Tree of Life is also visaged as the Menorah and is identified with the light of innermost perception – the spirit; thought; ideas; life; and of knowledge. This Primal Light, God’s light, radiates outward, extending and expanding throughout the universe.

October 2015. Author’s photograph. 4.68mb DSC_0026
Above: The Menorah poetically conceived as a tree of life and of light. The Menorah is the classic symbol of Judaism.

October 2015. Author’s photograph. 7.77mb DSC_0027
Above: The Star of David and the palm branch used on the Sukkot (Feast of Booths) harvest festival.

October 2015. Author’s photograph. 7.77mb DSC_0027
Above: The shofur or ram’s horn (above) is an ancient instrument used on High Holidays to call the people to repentance. In close proximity to the shofur is the etrog which is a fruit of the Holy Land which expresses earth’s bounty as well as the overflowing love of a human being’s heart for God.

Designed by Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett, the Chicago Loop Synagogue stands as one of Chicago’s most significant modern religious buildings, where architectural restraint is transformed by Abraham Rattner’s monumental stained-glass masterpiece into a profound visual statement of Jewish faith and heritage.

October 2015. Author’s photograph. 6.13mb DSC_0999 (1)
Above: View of the sanctuary from the balcony. The near perfect beauty of the Chicago Loop Synagogue is self-evident.

October 2015. Author’s photograph. 3.14mb DSC_0037 (1)
The prayer room on the first floor is used for daily prayer and other gatherings. Author’s photograph.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

AIA Guide to Chicago. 2nd ed. Edited by Alice Sinkevitch. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2004.

Bachrach, Julia. “Chicago’s Jewish Architects: A Legacy of Modernism.” Julia Bachrach Consulting (blog). February 1, 2018. https://www.jbachrach.com/blog/2018/1/30/chicagos-jewish-architects-a-legacy-of-modernism.

Chicago Loop Synagogue. Home page. https://www.chiloopsyn.org/.

Cooper, Alanna E. “Future in Question for Chicago Loop Synagogue and Its Monumental Stained-Glass Window.” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, April 14, 2021.

Lane, George, S.J., and Algimantas Kezys. Chicago Churches and Synagogues: An Architectural Pilgrimage. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1981.

“Let There Be Light: The Chicago Loop Synagogue.” Chicago Modern: More than Mies (blog).

Preservation Chicago. “Chicago Loop Synagogue.” Accessed January 18, 2024. https://www.preservationchicago.org/.

Preservation Chicago. “THREATENED: Chicago Loop Synagogue Faces Uncertain Future.” April 30, 2021. https://www.preservationchicago.org/threatened-chicago-loop-synagogue-faces-uncertain-future/.

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