Congregational Church and Carpenter Chapel

The buildings of the Congregational Church and the Carpenter Chapel in Union Park are a single architectural ensemble created in the middle of the XIX century for the theological seminary of Chicago. Today, the church is better known as the First Baptist Church of the Congregation.

The building is made in the neo-Gothic style, but the free interpretation of its features allowed the architect Otis Wheelok to avoid blind copying of medieval temples. The facades, made of light limestone, are not burdened with details, but the pointed windows and turrets emphasize the skyward silhouette of the temple. The interior of the church is rich in traditional elements: stained glass windows, wood carvings, six magnificent chandeliers and a beautiful organ of the famous Kimball company. The central hall accommodates almost one and a half thousand parishioners.

The chapel is made in the same style as the main temple. It bears the name of Philo Carpentre, one of the co-founders of Chicago Theological Seminary and the city’s first apothecary. The interior of the chapel is quite restrained: simple plastered walls and wooden details on them.

In 2006, Carpenter’s church and chapel were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.