• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

UrbDeZine Chicago

Urban Planning + Design + Architecture + Historic Preservation

  • Home
  • Urb Main
  • Log in

Historic Episcopal Church of the Epiphany Shuts Its Doors

December 8, 2011 By Melanie Johnson

Epiphany Church ChicagoThe historic Episcopal Church of the Epiphany on Chicago’s Near West Side has had a storied past.  But after 127 years, the South Ashland Avenue church closed its doors following last Sunday’s services, reported the Chicago Tribune.

The church’s congregation had dwindled down to around six regular attendees in recent times, so officials decided to shut it down. The church’s future is in the hands of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago’s Bishop and Trustees, the Tribune reported.

Edward Burling and Francis Whitehouse designed the church, which was built in 1885 and is one of the city’s first examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. That style was popular in the 19th century.

A wake was held for assassinated Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison Sr. in October 1893 at the church and for slain Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton in 1969.

The exterior can’t be demolished because it is a part of the Jackson Boulevard District, a section of row houses on West Adams and West Jackson streets that earned city landmark status in 1976, according to the article.

–Photo by Eric Allix Rogers, Flickr Creative Commons

[mappress mapid=”7″]

Filed Under: Chicago, Historic, News Tagged With: Epiphany Church, Episcopal, Melanie Johnson

avatar for Melanie Johnson

About Melanie Johnson

Melanie Johnson, a Southern California based writer, works as an editor for an online media company. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English (1997) from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s degree in journalism (1999) from Syracuse University. Melanie has worked the bulk of her 13-year career in newspapers, including stints at the San Bernardino Sun and the Press-Enterprise in Riverside. She has covered a wide variety of beats, including city government and education. She also has worked as a freelance writer and editor.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar


Avatars by Sterling Adventures

Copyright © 2019 UrbDeZine