Second Presbyterian Church Receives National Landmark Status
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 21, 2013 4:45PM
Chicago is home to several churches deserving of landmark status for their architectural design, but only one can actually claim to be a landmark.
Second Presbyterian Church was granted National Historic Landmark status earlier this year and the church celebrated the occasion Thursday night with a dedication ceremony. Founded in 1842, Second Presbyterian's Gothic Revival exterior was designed by architect James Renwick. Howard Van Doren Shaw and Frederic Clay Bartlett redesigned the church's sanctuary in 1901 after a fire in an Arts and Crafts style that's regarded now as one of the best preserved church interiors in the nation. The Department of the Interior, in granting the church landmark status, said it contains "some of the best examples of Arts and Crafts mural painting, sculpture and stained glass" highlighted by nine Tiffany windows.
You don't need to be religious to visit and appreciate the church's design. Tours of the church are offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sundays at 12:15 p.m.