The First Congregational Church of Western Springs is a historic church designed by

George Grant Elmslie George Grant Elmslie (February 20, 1869 – April 23, 1952) was a Scottish-born American Prairie School architect whose work is mostly found in the Midwestern United States. He worked with Louis Sullivan and later with William Gray Purcell as ...

. It is considered the finest example of Gothic Revival and Prairie School design in town.

History

The First Congregation Church of Western Springs in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

was founded in 1887. By the 1921, the congregation had expanded to a point where a new church building was required. In 1924, a Building and Planning Committee was formed out of the congregation to seek out an architect. Seven architects from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

were interviewed. The design submitted by

was selected as the winning bid in 1926. Elmslie had just ended a lengthy partnership with

William Gray Purcell William Gray Purcell (July 2, 1880April 11, 1965) was a Prairie School architect in the Midwestern United States. He partnered with George Grant Elmslie, and briefly with George Feick. The firm of Purcell & Elmslie produced designs for building ...

and had opened an independent practice in Chicago. The committee was fond of Elmslie's recent Capitol Building and Loan Association in

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central U ...

, and envisioned a similar structure.Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
/ref> The committee favored a Gothic Revival building, and Elmslie obliged by submitting an elaborate Gothic design. When the committee realized that the design would be too expansive, Elsmlie responded by offering a design with Prairie School elements. Construction finished in 1930 with the completion of the sanctuary and Education Building, both structures a blend of Gothic and Prairie styles. Gothic elements included a cruciform floor plan and stained glass windows from the Temple Art Glass Company of Chicago. Prairie elements include a horizontal emphasis, wood ornamentation, earth tones, and use of natural materials.

Emil Zettler Emil Robert Zettler (March 30, 1878 – January 10, 1946) American sculptor, born in Karlsruhe, Germany (or, Chicago, Illinois ) and active in Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago, where Zettler studied, awarded him the Potter Palmer Gold Medal i ...

was commissioned to carve statues and provide decorative elements. Herbert and William Brand designed an addition north of the Education Building in 1959. The church was surveyed during the Illinois Historic Structures Survey and, on August 8, 2006, was recognized by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

with a listing on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

References

{{commons category, First Congregational Church of Western Springs Churches in Cook County, Illinois Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Cook County, Illinois Gothic Revival architecture in Illinois Prairie School architecture in Illinois Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Western Springs, Illinois George Grant Elmslie buildings