Summer 2006 Whole Number 92. Copyright 2006, Chicago-Midwest Chapter, Organ Historical Society. All rights reserved.

Transcription

1 The Stopt Diapason Summer 2006 Whole Number 92 Copyright 2006, Chicago-Midwest Chapter, Organ Historical Society. All rights reserved. CELEBRATING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN Above: The exterior of St. Jerome s Catholic Church in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. Information about this church and its Austin Organ can be found elsewhere in this issue. The Stopt Diapason, a journal devoted to the history of the organ in Chicago and the Midwest, is published quarterly by the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society, Inc., a not-for-profit, educational organization. The Chicago-Midwest Chapter is a 501(c)(3) corporation incorporated in the State of Illinois.

2 From the President: LATE SUMMER GREETINGS TO ONE AND ALL! Labor Day will soon be here and it will be time for the summer season to draw to a close and the full chorus of choir rehearsals, services and special liturgies to march forward. Our Chapter has just completed celebrating its 25 th Anniversary with a very full year of special recitals, organ crawls and the awarding of Historic Organ Citations culminating in the 25 th Anniversary Gala Recital played by David Schrader followed by the Annual Banquet at the Davis Street Fish Market in Evanston. Salute' to Schrader for his superb French program at the First Congregational Church of Evanston! Remember that now is the time for our Annual Dues Renewal for the continuing multi-faceted work of the Chicago-Midwest Chapter. (Please see the Membership Renewal Forms included in this issue of "The Stopt Diapason"). Along with the dues renewal, now is the perfect time to consider giving that extra special Gift as a Guarantor, Sponsor, Patron or Friend in maintaining the Chapter's many activities in the preservation of historic organs of the Chicago area. (Note: these monetary Gifts are tax-deductible!) I would also like to extend my many thanks to the members of our Chapter's Board of Directors for meeting several times during this very busy summer in working on the many activities of the Chapter and in planning an excellent program for the Season! We look forward to the following Fall programs for our Chicago-Midwest Chapter: September 24-4:00 PM - Chapter Member Tracy Figard in the Annual Fall Organ Recital program on the 1882 Steere & Turner Organ at Greenstone (Pullman) United Methodist Church. Music of Bach, Karg-Elert and Egon Cohen. October 21-9:30 AM - Annual Fall Organ Crawl - Tour of historic Austin Organ Company organs of the North side of Chicago including North Shore Baptist Church, Unity Lutheran Church, Edgewater Presbyterian Church and Bethany Lutheran Church. November 19-3:00 PM - Chapter Member Steven Betancourt in recital on the 1872 Johnson Organ at St. Josaphat RC Church, Chicago. I look forward to seeing all of our many members at the various Chapter events this season! Sincerely, Bob Woodworth Jr. CHICAGO-MIDWEST CHAPTER Chicago-Midwest Chapter OHS Website: Board Members President: Robert E. Woodworth, Jr North Sheridan Road, #39B Chicago, Illinois (773) r.woodworth.jr@worldnet.att.net Secretary: Derek E. Nickels Church of the Holy Comforter 222 Kenilworth Avenue Kenilworth, Illinois Office: (847) , extension 17 denickels@holycomforter.org Treasurer: Susan Werner Friesen 1522 Monroe Street Lake in the Hills, Illinois Residence: (847) Office: (847) Cell: (847) s.friesen@sbcglobal.net Members at large: Br. Benjamin Basile, C.PP.S. Calumet College of Saint Joseph 2400 New York Avenue Whiting, Indiana Residence: (219) Office: (219) Fax: (219) bensb2@aol.com James Russell Brown 4510 N. Beacon Street Chicago, Illinois (773) jbrownxyz@comcast.net Daniel R. Driscoll 1224 Elmwood Avenue, #2-W Evanston, Illinois Residence: (847) drdden@hotmail.com Stephen J. Schnurr, Jr. c/o Saint Paul Catholic Church Post Office Box 1475 Valparaiso, Indiana (219) (219) (fax) stephen.schnurr.mus.95@aya.yale.edu 2

3 CHAPTER EVENTS FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, :00 P.M. Annual Fall Recital at Greenstone (Pullman) United Methodist Church, Saint Lawrence Avenue, Chicago on the 1882 Steere & Turner organ by member Tracy Figard in music by Bach, Karg-Elert and Egon Cohen. (Further information about this event will be found elsewhere in this issue of "The Stopt Diapason. ) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, :30 A.M. organs in Chicago s Edgewater Neighborhood. Annual Autumn Organ Crawl featuring historic Austin Organ Company 9:30 a.m. North Shore Baptist Church, 5244 North Lakewood Avenue, Chicago (1922 Austin Organ Company, opus 1075, three manual) 11:00 a.m. Unity Lutheran Church, 5409 North Magnolia Avenue, Chicago (1920 Austin Organ Company, opus 886, two manual) 1:30 p.m. Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago (1929 Austin Organ Company, opus 1710, two manual) 2:30 p.m. Bethany Lutheran Church, 1244 West Thorndale Avenue, Chicago (1918 Austin Organ Company, opus 813, three manual) (Further information about the history of these Austin organs, their churches and driving directions will be found elsewhere in this issue of "The Stopt Diapason.") SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, :00 P.M. Chapter Member s Recital at St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church, 2311 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago by member Steven Betancourt on the recently installed 1872 Johnson organ. (Further information about this event will be found elsewhere in this issue of "The Stopt Diapason. ) CALENDAR OF AREA EVENTS If you know of an organ event in the chapter area which should be announced, please contact Derek Nickels (contact information found on page 2) Sunday, September 17, :00 p.m. James Brian Smith will play an organ recital as part of the Northbrook Church Tour at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit located on the campus of the Divine Word International, Waukegan and Techny Roads. The recital includes works by Alain, Bach, Boëllmann, Hakim, Johnson, Messiaen, and Walther. A freewill offering will be received following the program. For more information and directions, please call (847) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, :00 P.M. Chicago AGO presents Hyojin Song, in this year s Gruenstein Winner s Recital at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division Street, River Forest. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, :00 P.M. Church, 1615 Lincoln in Evanston. North Shore AGO presents its Member s Recital at St. Athanasius MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, :30 P.M. Elliott Chapel of Presbyterian Homes, 3131 Simpson Street (Golf Road) in Evanston presents Margaret Chen, Artistic Director, Music at Trinity, Trinity Episcopal Church, Highland Park, Illinois. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, :00 P.M. First United Methodist Church, 324 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, presents Thomas Murray as part of its Rededication Concert Series of the recently restored E. M. Skinner organ. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, :00 P.M. The Cathedral Arts Concert Series of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels, 7 th Avenue and Tyler Street, Gary, IN opens its 15 th season by presenting Thomas Gouwens, Associate Organist of Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago. The organ, designed by Lawrence Phelps, was built in 1963 by Casavant, opus 2769, two-manuals, thirty-three ranks. The public is warmly invited to this free program. A free-will offering will be accepted. Free, secured parking is available in the Cathedral lots. For further information, or directions, telephone (219) or (219)

4 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, :00 P.M. First United Methodist Church, 418 Touhy in Park Ridge, celebrates the 10 th anniversary of their Buzard Opus 15 Organ with a recital by Brett Zumsteg. The Program will include works by Buxtehude, Franck, Bach, Schumann and Widor. Recital is free and open to the public but a free will offering will be taken. For more information, contact the church office at (847) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, :00 P.M. Kenilworth Union Church, 211 Kenilworth Avenue, Kenilworth presents Istvan Ruppert, Professor of Organ, Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary. MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, :30 P.M. Elliott Chapel of Presbyterian Homes, 3131 Simpson Street (Golf Road) in Evanston presents Istvan Ruppert, Professor of Organ, Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, :00 P.M. First United Methodist Church, 324 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, presents Cameron Carpenter as part of its Rededication Concert Series of the recently restored E. M. Skinner organ. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, :00 P.M. Church of the Holy Comforter, 222 Kenilworth Avenue, Kenilworth, celebrates the 40 th Anniversary of the dedication of the Aeolian-Skinner Op with a recital by Chapter member Derek Nickels in music by Bach, Brahms, Buxtehude, Calvière, Couperin, Franck, Mozart and Walcha. For more information, contact the Music Office at (847) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, :15 P.M. Elliott Chapel of Presbyterian Homes, 3131 Simpson Street (Golf Road) in Evanston presents Volodymyr Koshuba, Organist, Kiev Concert Hall, Kiev, Ukraine, and Viktoriya Koshuba, Pianist, Kiev, Ukraine. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, :00 P.M. First United Methodist Church, 324 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, presents Michael Shawgo as part of its Rededication Concert Series of the recently restored E. M. Skinner organ. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, :30 P.M. Elliott Chapel of Presbyterian Homes, 3131 Simpson Street (Golf Road) in Evanston presents Katie Ann McCarty, Organist, First United Methodist Church, The Chicago Temple, Chicago. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, :00 P.M. Church of the Holy Comforter, 222 Kenilworth Avenue, Kenilworth, presents its annual Advent Lessons and Carols. For more information, contact the Music Office at (847) SUNDAY, MARCH 4, :00 P.M. Church of the Holy Comforter, 222 Kenilworth Avenue, Kenilworth, presents its annual Lenten Evensong. For more information, contact the Music Office at (847) SUNDAY, APRIL 22, :00 P.M. Chicago AGO presents Erik Wm. Suter in recital at Bethany Lutheran Church, 76 W. Crystal Lake Avenue, Crystal Lake. Handel Week, Incorporated Season Eighth Festival Season Dr. Dennis E. Northway, Artistic Director All Concerts Performed at Grace Episcopal Church 924 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL Prices: Concert I-$30.00; Concert II-$20.00; Concert III-$30.00 Concert I/II $40.00; Concert I/III-$50.00; Concert II/III-$40.00 Season $65.00 Concert I. Saturday, 17 February, 7:30 p.m. The Grand Handel - Orchestra Alive! Concert II. Monday, 19 February, 7:30 pm The Intimate Handel: Music for Soprano, Violin, Guitar & Basso Continuo Concert III. Sunday, 25 February, 3:00 pm The Oratorio SAMSON, HWV 57 Featuring the Handel Week Festival Chorus, Orchestra and Soloists 4

5 CHAPTER NEWS Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Historical Society Celebrated its Silver Anniversary with a Gala Recital by David Schrader at First Congregational Church of Evanston on Sunday, June 4, The recital was followed by an Annual Banquet at the Davis Street Fish Market with special remarks from National OHS President Michael Friesen and founding members David McCain and Susan Friesen. TOP: David Schrader at the E. M. Skinner console of First Congregation Church, Evanston, IL. LEFT SIDE TOP: Susan Friesen speaking at the 25 th Anniversary Banquet at the Davis Street Fish Market in Evanston. BOTTOM: National OHS President Michael Friesen. RIGHT SIDE TOP: Founding member David McCain. BOTTOM: Susan Friesen, David McCain, and Michael Friesen. 5

6 ORGAN NEWS MUSIC INSTITUTE SKINNER DISMANTLED FOR A FULL RESTORATION The historic 1914 E. M. Skinner organ (Opus 208) at the Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston (formerly the First Church of Christ Scientist) is being fully restored during the next twelve months under the auspices of Jeffrey Weiler. Joseph Rotella (Spencer Organ Company, Massachusetts) and David Broome (Connecticut) will also be involved in the project. This is the same team that successfully restored the Skinner at First United Methodist Church in Oak Park, heard to great acclaim just this past July in a recital by Ken Cowan prior to the AGO convention. Like Oak Park, the Music Institute was the recipient of significant funding from the Joseph Bradley Foundation. The photos give an idea of the dismantling that took place August A series of dedicatory events in the Fall of 2007 will be announced shortly. Although the organ will be out for a year, the Music Institute has now established an organ department (as well as an early music department) under my leadership. During the next year, lessons will be taught in adjacent churches, and the school is actively searching for a used practice/studio organ. James R. Brown Organ Consultant Above: Jeff Weiler and the Spencer Organ Company remove pipework of the historic 1914 E. M. Skinner, Opus 208 at the Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston on August 10, 2006 for a full restoration. 6

7 ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO RETURN TO MIDWEST FOR NATIONAL CONVENTION IN JULY 2007 Mark your calendars now for the 2007 National Convention of the Organ Historical Society, to be held in Central Indiana, July The Convention will be headquartered at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites, located in the Keystone Crossing shopping center, Interstate 465 and Keystone Avenue. The hotel promises to be among the best accommodations the OHS has experienced, at surprisingly reasonable rates! Indianapolis is conveniently served by a number of Interstate highways for those who wish to drive: I-65 from Chicago in the North and Louisville in the South; I-74 provides convenient access from Peoria, Bloomington, Champaign/Urbana, and Danville, Illinois, in the West and Cincinnati to the East; I-70 from Saint Louis in the West and Columbus, Ohio, in the East; and I-69 from Fort Wayne and Lansing, Michigan, in the North. The Indianapolis International Airport is conveniently served by approximately eighteen airlines. Thirty organs will be heard, dating from the 1840 s to the most recent years. They range in size from one to five manuals, promising something to delight all attendees. One of the featured instruments will be the 1929 Skinner Organ Company instrument in the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Meridian and North Streets, Indianapolis. The spectacular Gothic fane of Indiana limestone is noted to be one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to Scottish Rite use. The Cathedral s auditorium seats 1,300 persons. Skinner opus 696 was installed with a four-manual console and sixty-five ranks. In 1950, Aeolian-Skinner added two identical divisions, each consisting of four ranks, five stops. One division was installed on the stage, one in the balcony, designed for accompanying the Scottish Rite chorus. In 1969, the Cave Organ Company replaced the console with a Reisner console of five manuals. In 2000, the organ was awarded OHS Historic Organ Citation #255. A full evening recital will be presented on this instrument on Monday, July 16. The Cathedral s exquisite carillon will also be heard in recital that same day. Several instruments by Aeolian-Skinner will be featured, including the large, four-manual opus 1490 at the Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis (Thursday, July 12), opus 993 at the First Christian Church of Columbus (Monday, July 16), opus 1035 on the campus of DePauw University, Greencastle (Tuesday, July 17), and opus 935 in the Chapel of Wabash College, Crawfordsville (also Tuesday, July 17). Be sure to watch future issues of this journal for more information on this exciting week of events! Above: Two vintage postcards of the Scottish Rite Cathedral, Indianapolis, IN WEBSITE INFORMATION UPDATE One of our very own Chicago-Midwest OHS members David Scribner is the owner of PipeChat, a web site devoted to the organ in addition to serving as the chapter webmaster. You will find photo galleries of past OHS Conventions, podcasts of hymns sung at the conventions many other items of interest by simply logging onto Many thanks and kudos to David for his time and efforts to keep many of us informed. Many thanks are extended as well to Br. Ben Basile for serving as the Board liaison for the website. 7

8 CHICAGO-MIDWEST OHS CHAPTER RETURNS TO GREENSTONE (PULLMAN) UNITED METHODIST CHURCH South Saint Lawrence Avenue, Chicago ANNUAL FALL ORGAN RECITAL SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, :00 P.M. TRACY FIGARD, organist Twenty-one year old Tracy Figard began violin studies at the age of three, piano at the age of nine and the organ in August of She has also studied harp, harpsichord and viola. She is currently a senior at Northwestern University where she is pursuing a double major in Violin Performance and Historic Keyboard. She studies violin with Almita Vamos. She has also studied organ with Douglas Cleveland and is currently studying organ with Professor Margaret Kemper at Northwestern University. Figard was the organist at Winnetka Bible Church from In 2005 she was the winner of the Chicago and North Shore AGO Chapters' AGO/Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists. Tracy won the Union League Civic and Arts Competition in In 2002 she won the James Glacking Memorial Music Competition and played the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the North Suburban Symphony. Tracy also performed, at the conductor's invitation, Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole with the Lake Forest Symphony. Figard accompanied her sister, Kristin, for their first CD produced by Holland-American Music Society released in She also performed with her sister on the 'Live from Studio One' and on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series produced by WFMT. Tracy's violin performance won her both an Evanston Music Club Scholarship in 2002 and the Farwell Award of the Musicians Club of Women in In 2002 Figard won the Skowronski Team Competition for Violin and Piano as the pianist with her sister on the violin. That year she also played the violin with her sister on viola in Mozart's Symphonie Concertante with the North Suburban Symphony. She also won the Nancy Fuqua Memorial Musical Arts Competition in 2001 and performed as soloist with the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra. Tracy Figard's program for September 24, 2006 is as follows: Prelude and Fugue in E Flat Major - (St. Anne) Nocturne for Organ Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - (Dorian) Symphonic Chorale No. 2 - (Jesu, meine Freude) J. S. Bach Egon Cohen J. S. Bach Sigfrid Karg-Elert The Nocturne for Organ by Egon Cohen was written for and dedicated to Tracy Figard. This performance at the Greenstone (Pullman) United Methodist Church will be the world premiere performance of this piece. For more information about the 1882 Steere & Turner Organ, please see The Stopt Diapason, whole issue 53 (Autumn 1996), pages 6-7, (also whole issue 17, volume 3, number 5, October 1982, pages 3-7; The Organ Handbook (2002), The Organ Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia, pages 48-51); Pipe Organs of Chicago (2005), Stephen J. Schnurr, Jr., and Dennis Northway, Oak Park, Illinois, pages Driving Directions to Greenstone (Pullman) United Methodist Church: Greenstone (Pullman) United Methodist Church is located at South Saint Lawrence Avenue in Chicago. Take 115 th Street Exit West from the I-94 (Calumet) Expressway. A few short blocks West turn right onto South Saint Lawrence Avenue and proceed North three (3) blocks to the church. There is ample street parking. 8

9 A PREVIEW OF THE ANNUAL AUTUMN ORGAN CRAWL: AUSTIN ORGANS IN THE EDGEWATER NEIGHBORHOOD OF CHICAGO SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2006 SCHEDULE: 9:30 a.m. North Shore Baptist Church, 5244 North Lakewood Avenue, Chicago (1922 Austin Organ Company, opus 1075, three manual) 11:00 a.m. Unity Lutheran Church, 5409 North Magnolia Avenue, Chicago (1920 Austin Organ Company, opus 886, two manual) NOON Lunch on your own (SUGGESTIONS WILL BE PROVIDED) 1:30 p.m. Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago (1929 Austin Organ Company, opus 1710, two manual) 2:30 p.m. Bethany Lutheran Church, 1244 West Thorndale Avenue, Chicago (1918 Austin Organ Company, opus 813, three manual) Complete directions will be found at the end of this article. All participants are asked to bring this edition with them to the Organ Crawl. All OHS members and their guests are invited to participate for all or any part of the events of the day, as they are able. Edgewater Neighborhood: John Lewis Cochran, a real estate developer, was born in Sacramento in 1857 (a product of the California Gold Rush in 1849), grew up in Philadelphia and arrived in Chicago in The City, ten years after the Chicago fire of 1871 was growing by leaps and bounds, annexing towns and unincorporated areas (including Edgewater in 1889) as it advanced to the North, West and South. The Columbian World's Fair Exposition of 1893 brought many thousands of visitors to Jackson Park, some of whom saw great potential here and began permanent moves to Chicago. Mr. Cochran purchased his first property on the "North Shore" in 1885, bounded by Lake Michigan, Evanston Avenue (Broadway), Foster and Bryn Mawr Avenues. The area consisted of undeveloped sand and scrub. Prior to the construction of Lake Shore Drive in the 1930's and later extensions northward, the Lake Michigan boundary was considerably farther west than at present, with the beach beginning only a few hundred yards east of present-day Sheridan Road. The name "Edgewater" was coined by Cochran to "evoke images of gracious homes and the leisurely pursuits of the upper middle class. In contrast to other developers of the day, curbed streets, sewers, and sidewalks with trees in parkways were not simply promised ("The Usual Way") but already in place ("The Edgewater Way"). Installation of the "Edison Incandescent Electric Light" proved a major drawing point to potential buyers; Edgewater was the first development north of the City advertising wiring into every home. Significant movement of new residents began with Cochran's persuading the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad to add a stop (the "Edgewater Depot") at Bryn Mawr Avenue on the line, initially consisting of four trains per day. In 1892, with the aid of prominent retailer Marshall Field, Cochran formed the Chicago North Shore Railway Company, known locally as the "Edgewater Evanston" line, taking riders down to Diversey where they transferred to other cars heading downtown. The Chicago City Council in 1894 authorized construction by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad of track from downtown to North Avenue, extending north to Wilson Avenue in 1900 and finally to the southern boundary of Evanston Township in The neighborhood we now know as "Lakewood-Balmoral" comprised 12 city blocks, "Cochran's Third Addition to Edgewater. Several street names in this new neighborhood are associated with stops along the "Main Line" in Cochran's former Philadelphia: Wayne, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr. Cochran's advertised intent for this neighborhood was "elegance without ostentation", with a high percentage of single family homes. The development was geared for middle class and professional class families. Buyers had to agree for 20 years not to erect "fences or other obstructions" within 25 feet of 9

10 the street line; no building ("except stable") erected with a value of less than $3,000; and no "spirituous or malt liquors" sold on the premises. Most original building in the area occurred during the period The Cochran and McCluer Co. advertised "Modern Artistic Homes Prices $4,000 to $10,500, lot dimensions 50 by 150 feet. Other advertisements extolled "No Two Alike" and offered homes "On Terms That Will Suit You. The primary architect for Cochran's firm was Joseph L. Silsbee, one of whose assistants was a young draftsman by the name of Frank Lloyd Wright. Community planner from the start, Cochran was one of the founders of the Saddle and Cycle Club along the Lake. Above: left, interior of North Baptist Church with Taft bas-relief behind choir seating; middle, exterior of North Shore Baptist; right, Jade Window. North Shore Baptist Church North Lakewood Avenue, Chicago: A quiet corner near the heart of "Cochran's Third Addition to Edgewater", Berwyn and Lakewood, was soon to become home to North Shore Baptist Church, but only after a beginning period at Leland and Pemberton Avenues in the Sheridan Park neighborhood to the south. The story of North Shore Baptist Church begins with Andrew Jackson McDermid, a postman in the Edgewater neighborhood who along with his wife organized weekly prayer services in their small apartment at the head of Lakewood Avenue. Notices were distributed to known Baptists in the area in 1905 announcing a meeting to be held on March 30 th at the railway depot. Not having a key to the station, those assembled walked to the home of Dr. C. S. Terry at 3159 Malden Street (now 4532 Malden). On Thursday evening May 4, 1905 at a business meeting held after the regular services, all pledged themselves to the organization of a Church and the name "North Shore Baptist Church" was unanimously adopted. The temporary organization rented a new store building at 1960 Evanston Avenue (now approximately 4653 Broadway) just a few doors south of Leland on the East Side of the street across from the depot. At a meeting on May 9, 1906 a special meeting was held for the purpose of considering the purchase of a lot at the southwest corner of Leland and Pemberton (now Racine) Avenues, just a short block from the present church quarters on Evanston Avenue. The new Chapel would cost $13,000 to build beyond the $11,000 cost of the lot. The last service at 1960 Evanston Avenue was held on June 20 th with the men carrying furniture to the Sheridan Park Railroad Station, once again the temporary meeting place until completion of the chapel. One result of North Shore's stay at the Evanston Avenue location was acquiring among local residents the moniker "The Top Hat Church. It seems that in 1906 as the congregation assembled on Sunday mornings in the storefront facility, the gentlemen would remove their top hats and place them on the windowsills facing the street. In a few short months the "chapel" was completed with dedication services held on Sunday November 8, Numerous phrases have been used to characterize the congregation through many years of North Shore Baptist Church, among them "The Stranger's Church Home" and "The Family Church", but "The Church with A Future" seems to have lasted longer than most. The Music Ministry at this time was blessed with a "rather portly" organ which was installed in the choir loft and dedicated January 17, 1909 by Mr. W. Edwards Duffel, organist for many years at First Baptist Church of Evanston. The Church 10

11 newsletter at the time listed Harold Watt as Music Director and Mrs. David C. Babcock as organist. A later newsletter asked for 10 men and 2 women for "choir work. In 1914 the music ministry continued to grow with the boys choir being furnished with robes and the pay for the boys would be $1.00 per month. The organist's salary was increased from $2.00 per week to $4.00 per week, although the request was for $5.00 per week - while the choirmaster was paid $25.00 per month. In 1915 the Board of Trustees authorized the hiring of a paid quartet. Having sustained considerable growth during this time period, the result was overcrowding at the little Chapel on Leland and Racine. Since the parishioners were moving northward, the Trustees authorized the purchase of a lot on the southwest corner of Berwyn and Lakewood Avenues in A month later the church signed the agreement to purchase the Redich home and lot at 5248 North Lakewood. While the Redich home was moved to a new location on Magnolia Avenue 150 feet north of Berwyn Avenue, Mr. S. M. Seator, chairman of the Board of Deacons and an architect with offices on LaSalle Street, was chosen as the architect of the new church. Events moved very quickly with the first open-air-service conducted on the new lot in July of Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on November 23, the laying of the corner stone on February 20, 1921, and the Services of Dedication were held on October 9, At this time the Trustees voted against signing a contract for an organ until after the church dedication "when funds would be available. At the first meeting in the new church building, the members agreed to sell the former Leland/Racine property to the Plymouth Hotel Company with the pews sold to the First Hungarian Baptist Church of West Pullman. The wife of the Pastor, Mrs. William H. Jones, chaired the committee considering an organ. In January 1922 the Building Committee acted on the organ group's recommendation and approved the purchase of an Austin Organ for $12,600. It was installed the following November. The choir began a series of monthly concerts with organist Miss Frances Cook and Musical Director Frank Parker. The Austin Organ was duly dedicated in a program of services and recitals on December 17 and 19, North Shore's first major work of art was added during the Virgin pastorate, the well-known bas-relief. The sculpture is based on a fresco painted by the famous Danish artist Karl block at the Fredericksburg Castle in Copenhagen. It was created by the world-renowned Chicago master Lorado Taft to hang in the Hall of Religion at the 1933 "Century of Progress" World's Fair which celebrated Chicago's centennial in Deacon Chairman J. L. Kraft (of Kraft cheese fame) purchased the sculpture for North Shore and installed it behind the choir loft. An interesting note - church organist Miss Frances Cook died playing the organ during a Sunday evening service in the Spring of 1940, having served in that position since the organ was installed in 1922! After World War II, the music program at North Shore flourished with the beginning of the annual performance of Handel's "Messiah" in 1945 and the many performances of the oratorio "Elijah" over the many years since. With ever increasing attendance goals, the construction of a new sanctuary building to accommodate the membership was deemed necessary. The Trustees engaged Benjamin Franklin Olson as the architect for the new church. The architect was directed to draw plans in a colonial style of architecture - "more truly characteristic of the Baptists than any other style. Groundbreaking was scheduled for July 2, 1950 with Dedication Services set for a full two weeks in March of January 11, 1952 saw the move of the Austin Organ to the new sanctuary. A highlight of the new church building was the dedication of the Kraft Chapel and the Jade Window. J. L. Kraft, aside from ruling the Kraft cheese empire was on the board of Continental Bank and was a church leader and major donor to North Shore for over 40 years. The Window of Jade is an artistic triumph that realizes a dream long cherished by Kraft, amateur lapidary and collector of the semi-precious stone. Into this colorful composition went 446 pieces of American jade, cut to a thickness of three millimeters, polished and mounted in lead. The next turning point in the history of North Shore Baptist Church was "the fire" called by some members as "the Divine Intervention" while others referred to "that lucky spark" when the former church was totally destroyed after the Sunday evening service on February 10, Work progressed quickly with the decision to replace the former church with the current Education and Recreation Building. This structure was dedicated on April 5, Over the many years several clergy pastorates saw the progression of musicians, choir directors, organists and quartette members including: 11

12 Organists: Music Directors: 1911 Mrs. David C. Babcock 1905 Mrs. R. P. Fish 1923 Frances Ann Cook 1911 Harold Watt 1945 Esther Kaub Johnson 1914 Raymond Carr 1956 Helen D. Carbaugh 1916 B. P. Billhorn 1961 Lucille Ingebretsen 1917 D. R. Hayes 1999 Sean Egan 1918 Glenn Wagoner 2000 Greg Sabetta 1922 Harold J. McNeill 2004 Randy Fleer 1923 Frank Parker 1929 Frances Ann Cook 1940 Porter Heaps 1946 Evelyn Tannehill 1955 Robert Carbaugh 1957 Raymond D. Jones 1960 Rev. Edward Thompson 1967 Rev. Richard Eckert 1979 William Walker 1981 Phillip E. Carey 1984 William Walker 1989 Carl Grapentine/Nimrod Tabang 1995 Susan Feiler/Sally Mir 1998 Susan Feiler Current Specification of Austin Organ Company - Opus : Great Organ (Manual II): Choir Organ (Manual I): 8' Open Diapason 8' Melodia 8' Doppel Flute 8' Quint 4' Octave 8' Dulciana 4' Harmonic Flute 8' Unda Maris 2' Super Octave 4' Flute IV Mixture 2' Piccolo 8' Harmonic Tuba Blank* Blank* 8' Clarinet Blank* Blank* Chimes Blank* Great 16 Tremolo Great Unison Off Choir 16 Great 4 Choir Unison Off Swell to Great 16 Choir 4 Swell to Great 8 Swell to Choir 16 Swell to Great 4 Swell to Choir 8 Choir to Great 16 Swell to Choir 4 Choir to Great 8 MIDI to Choir* Choir to Great 4 MIDI to Great* Swell Organ (Manual III): Pedal Organ: 8' Rohrflute 32' Untersatz* 8' Salicional 16' Open Diapason 8' Celeste (TC) 16' Bourdon 4' Principal 8' Principal 4' Hohl Flute 8' Flute Dolce 2 2/3' Quinte Blank* 2' Waldflute 32' Bombarde* Blank* 16' Trombone III Plein Jeu 16' Bassoon (Swell) 12

13 16' Bassoon Blank* 8' Trumpet Blank* 8' Oboe Swell to Pedal 8 8' Vox Humana Swell to Pedal 4 Blank* Great to Pedal 8 Tremolo Great to Pedal 4 Swell 16 Choir to Pedal 8 Swell Unison Off Choir to Pedal 4 Swell 4 MIDI to Pedal* Choir to Swell 8* Great to Swell 8* MIDI to Swell* Accessories: 12 General Pistons (1-6 under Great & 7-12 under Swell) with duplicating Toe Studs (in 2 rows) 8 Swell Pistons (thumb below Manual III) 8 Great Pistons (thumb below Manual II) 8 Choir Pistons (thumb below Manual I) 6 Pedal Toe Studs Thumb Pistons: (under Manual III): Swell to Pedal Zimbelstern* (under Manual II): Great to Pedal Swell to Great Choir to Great Tutti (under Manual I): Set Choir to Pedal General Cancel Toe Studs: Swell to Pedal Great to Pedal Choir to Pedal Zimbelstern Tutti 32' Untersatz (adjacent to left Pedal rail) 32' Bombarde (adjacent to right Pedal rail) Expression Pedals: Great/Choir Swell Crescendo Great/Choir and Swell Expression Indicator Lights Tutti - 1, 2, 3, 4 with Indicator Lights Memory - Set/Lock - Lock-Out Switch Peterson Master Stop Processor Crescendo Level 1-4 Shoe Position Indicator Combination Level 1-99 Transposer Crescendo Indicator On / Off with Indicator Light Clock Peterson Sequencer Power On / Off Switch Austin Roll-top Console with Music Rack and Light April 2002 saw the renovation of the Austin Organ by the Fabry & Sons Organ Company with the addition of stops marked * and the complete overhaul of the inner workings of the console with new keyboards, pedalboard, stops and the addition of Peterson electronic controls. The console still maintains the original Austin curved roll-top cover. (Information resourced from a published history in: "Reach Out! One Hundred Years of Ministry at The North Shore Baptist Church" by John Howel Dawson with David R. Feiler and on-site visits.) 13

14 Above: left, exterior of Unity Lutheran Church with console, right. Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church North Magnolia Avenue, Chicago: Unity Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church began meeting in 1905 in a storefront at 1136 West Argyle Street in Chicago, after a neighborhood canvas by the General Synod of Northern Illinois found many unchurched Lutherans in the Edgewater neighborhood. Financial assistance from the Synod's Board of Church Extension and First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Altoona, Pennsylvania, helped Unity's 43 charter members build a chapel in 1906 at the corner of Balmoral and Magnolia Avenues. On June 22, 1917, Unity was the site of the merger of the General Council of the Lutheran Church and the United Synod in the South into a new synod, the United Lutheran Church in America. In 1924, Unity opened the Lutheran Christian Girl's Home, a Christian place for young women coming to Chicago to seek work. A Lutheran Social Services of Illinois day care center operated at Unity from 1970 until That space is now used for after-school tutoring by the Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministry, which is funded by the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Unity's neighborhood connections are deep. The Edgewater community gathers here for worship, fellowship, volleyball, Boy Scouts, tutoring, pancake breakfasts, concerts and plays. Church members participate enthusiastically in local street fairs and garden walks. Many members have been local PTA presidents and Boy and Girl Scout leaders. Unity's connections to the world are also strong. Unity began sponsoring its first missionary to India in 1924 and currently sponsors a missionary to China. In 2005 Unity celebrated 100 years of service to the Edgewater community. The sanctuary at Unity was designed by Ivar Viehe-Naess in Viehe-Naess was a member of the congregation and had designed the original 1906 "Sunday School Chapel" immediately adjacent to this building. Born in Nord-Osen in Oesterdalen, Norway in 1870, Viehe-Naess grew up in close proximity to church architecture. The parish church and school were located on the Naess farm. His mother's brother was a prosperous builder in Oslo. He heard of the plans for the great Columbian Exposition and decided to go to Chicago in 1891 in order, he said, "that I might be well acquainted with the place before the great celebration." In the fall of 1892, Viehe-Naess entered the Chicago School of Architecture. After three years of study, he went to work as a draftsman and continued designing interiors until 1897, when he went to Paris to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In 1900, Viehe-Naess joined the firm of Daniel Burnham, where he remained until During that period he worked on several of Burnham's larger projects, including the Flat Iron building in New York City. Viehe-Naess's American Churches are all in the same neo-gothic style as Unity. Among his other church designs were Buena Presbyterian Church (now demolished), Rogers Park Presbyterian Church, North Austin Lutheran Church and Christ Lutheran Church (at Wilson and Spaulding). Other buildings designed by Viehe-Naess include the Lakeview and South Chicago Banks, the Lutheran Deaconess Home and Hospital and the Elmhurst Hospital. 14

15 The original design of Unity included a tower over the corner entryway, extending an additional 33 feet above the existing ramparts. This tower was designed to hold a ring of bells but was never completed. The Sancutary was remodeled in 1940, again under Viehe-Naess's supervision. The baptismal font, the pulpit and lectern prayer bench and the communion rail were built to his specifications. Viehe-Naess was a member of Unity and a member of both the 1906 and the 1916 building committees. General contractor for the 1916 construction was Robert Christiansen, also a member of the congregation. The stained glass windows were installed in September of 1948, at which time the altar painting and two large decorative angels, which adorned the chancel wall, were removed. The altar, Christus Rex and the completion of the reredos were done in 1953 by the John Toiler in Palatine. (Specification of Austin Organ Company - Opus ): Swell Organ (Manual II): Pedal Organ: 8' Open Diapason 16' Double Diapason 8' Rohr Flute 16' Bourdon 8' Viole D'Orchestra 16' Second Bourdon 8' Voix Celeste Swell 8 8' Echo Salicional Swell 4 4' Harmonic Flute Great 8 2' Harmonic Piccolo 8' Oboe 8' Vox Humana Swell 16 Swell 4 Tremolo Great Organ (Manual I): Swell 16 Swell 8 Swell 4 16' Bourdon 8' Open Diapason 8' Concert Flute 8' Unda Maris 8' Dulciana 4' Flute 8' Harmonic Tuba Tremolo Great 16 Great 4 Chimes Unisons (Stop Tabs): Swell On Great On Accessories: 8 General Pistons (Cash Register Style above Manual II) 8 Swell Pistons (thumb below Manual II) 8 Great Pistons (thumb below Manual I) Expression Shoes: Great Swell Crescendo Toe Studs: General Pistons, 9-11 Pedal Pistons, 1-3 Pedal Reversible, Sforzando (Information resourced from a published history by the Edgewater Historical Society, Unity Lutheran Church historical documents and on-site visits.) 15

16 Above: left, exterior of Edgewater Presbyterian Church with console, right. Edgewater Presbyterian Church West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago: J. MacMeans and his wife hosted a gathering of Edgewater residents at their 2975 North Kenmore Avenue home on April 17, They concluded that Edgewater was in need of a church for its growing Presbyterian community. Weeks later on May 4, a larger more formal gathering was convened consisting of representatives from the Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian and Congregational denominations. After much discussion, the assembly voted for the creation of a local church. At this time period Edgewater served a very large Scottish and Welsh immigrant community. On June 9, the members formally organized the Edgewater Presbyterian Church with forty-three charter members. Later that month on June 25, they selected from their assembly their first Elders and Deacons who were accordingly ordained and installed. The By-laws were officially adopted and the charter members invited Rev. R. R. Stevens to become its first pastor. On October 29 he was ordained and installed and remained until September 28, Under Stevens, Edgewater Presbyterian Church leased property on Granville and Greenview Avenues where on October 3, 1897 a church building was dedicated at a cost of $4, Rev. Louis Perkins Cain was installed as pastor on October 24, It was under his pastoral service that the congregation burgeoned into a community of over seven hundred members. Too small for the church building on Granville, Cain and the congregation were forced to plan for a new church building. The members chose a site for its second church building to be erected on the northwest corner of Ardmore and Kenmore Avenues. Philanthropist Nancy Fowler McCormick persuaded the congregation to choose a site on the southwest corner of Bryn Mawr and Kenmore Avenues instead. After a second church building was erected, Cain resigned from office in 1918 and interim ministers administered pastoral duties until a permanent successor could be found. The congregation continued to grow and a committee was established on March 30, 1921 "to consider the problem of our building needs, and to report to the congregation. The need for a new church building influenced the congregation's choice of Rev. Asa J. Ferry of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to become the new pastor. Ferry had experience leading the fledgling Bethany Temple from a mere mission to a congregation of 1700 members. He oversaw the purchase of property and construction of several church buildings in Philadelphia worth collectively over $250, (at that time period). Ferry was installed on October 31, The committee finally reported to the congregation on January 4, 1922 recommending that instead of enlarging the church building, it should purchase two lots across the street and move there. Lots on the northwest corner of Bryn Mawr Avenue and Sheridan Road and on the northeast corner of Bryn Mawr and Kenmore Avenues were purchased and plans for what would become known today as The New Community House were finalized on January 25, The congregation selected as its architect George Washington Maher ( ). Educated in New Albany, Indiana, Maher began his architectural education in 1878 as an apprentice to the Chicago firm of Bauer & Hill and later with the office of Joseph L. Silsbee. In 1888 he entered into a partnership with Charles Corwin. In June of 1893 Maher went to Europe for a year of study and sketching. Among his total architectural designs were many exclusive private residences located in Chicago, Oak Park, Highland Park, Glencoe and Kenilworth - including the Village Hall in Kenilworth. 16

17 A prominent architectural fixture of the Bryn Mawr Historic District, Edgewater Presbyterian Church was built in the French Romanesque style with fire-proof reinforced concrete and Bedford stone. The façade of this New Community House features carvings by the American sculptor Emil Zettler. The cornerstone dated 1926 reads: "Be Ye Steadfast. The completed building with its furnishings cost approximately $450, Grandiose plans were envisioned for the cathedral style church (based on designs similar to the neo-gothic Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago) to be built on the northwest corner of Bryn Mawr Avenue and Sheridan Road. This immense church structure was never built due to the financial situation of the congregation and the country during the Great Depression. (Specification of Austin Organ Company - Opus ): Pedal Organ: Swell Organ (Manual II): 16' Open Diapason (Great) 8' Stopped Flute 16' Bourdon 8' Salicional Swell 8 8' Voix Celeste (TC) Swell 4 4' Fugara Great 8 4' Flute Great 4 8' Oboe Tremolo Swell 16 Swell 4 Great Organ (Manual I): Unisons (Stop Tabs): 8' Open Diapason Swell On 8 8' Concert Flute Choir On 8 4' Octave 4' Flute 8' French Trumpet Tremolo Great 16 Great 4 Swell 16 Swell 8 Swell 4 Chimes Accessories: 8 General Pistons (Cash Register Style above Manual II) 8 Swell Pistons (thumb below Manual II) 8 Great Pistons (thumb below Manual I) Toe Studs: Pedal Pistons 1-4 Great to Pedal Reversible Sforzando Expression Shoes: Great Swell Crescendo Great - Swell - Crescendo Indicator Rollers Cancel Bars above the Stop Tabs (Information resourced from Edgewater Presbyterian Church historical documents and on-site visits.) 17

18 Above: left, exterior of Bethany Lutheran Church with console, right. Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church West Thorndale Avenue, Chicago: Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church was started in 1905 when the first services were held in a Clark Street meeting hall. Bethany may well have been the first English-speaking Lutheran church in the Edgewater neighborhood, and this helped it become successful. The growing congregation signed a lease in 1906 on a storefront at 2561 Evanston Avenue (now 5540 North Broadway). They purchased chairs for six dollars a dozen and a janitor was hired "at a fee of four dollars per month for summer and six dollars per month for winter. Bethany's families worshipped at this storefront for the next two years. Much of Edgewater still had dirt and sand streets and wooden sidewalks, but Evanston Avenue was paved with brick and lit by streetlights. Use of telephones and electricity had become commonly accepted by well-to-do families at this time. In 1908 the Bible Chapel, now the school facility, was built. The architects were Patton and Miller for this building, which was erected and furnished at a cost of $14,500. The entrance faces Thorndale and the style is English gothic. This new, larger church building helped increase membership substantially in the following years and by 1911 the congregation was well established. In June the church bulletin had a brief notice: "The Special Congregation Meeting held on May 3 was attended by 24 members. In this meeting it was decided to build a new church. The members hired architect Grant C. Miller to design the enlarged church with a bell tower. The permit was taken out in March of The building is an excellent example of the Arts and Crafts movement in the beautiful craftsmanship of the interior wood and stained glass as well as the strong architectural design. The overall massing of the main church has a very low and heavy appearance. This is made more dramatic with the wide shallow pointed arches above windows, a large low gabled roof over the church nave and a wide tower belfry with hipped roof that punctuates the corner of Thorndale and Magnolia Avenues. All of the roofs are topped with clay tile. The Arts and Crafts movement was very popular in America from about 1900 through The movement was a reaction to industrialization and took much of its inspiration from antecedents in England. Characteristic of the style is the honest and straightforward use of materials. The primary structure is load-bearing brick with stone detailing. This structure is given character by its massiveness and the quality of materials and construction. The only "ornament" on the building is found in the carefully detailed masonry. The brickwork is a plain running bond with flush mortar. This is accented with deep gouged arches above a variety of window openings and remarkable gouged arches creating a sunburst form across the top belfry openings. A flared stone water table forms a dramatic base for the building. The remaining stonework on the building mimics post and beam construction with stone accents that protrude along the eaves of the building, as seen from Thorndale Avenue, and stone accents that protrude at the corners of each windowsill. This stone work is also seen in the corner tower, forming brackets at the corners above the first floor and cruciform capitol forms at the top of each tower corner. 18

19 The heavy solid building structure is a counterpoint to the delicate and intricately detailed art glass windows. The windows are highly geometric and are composed primarily vertically arranged rectilinear pieces of multi-colored glass. Bands of glass arranged in foliate forms run horizontally across each window. Their design is reminiscent of typical art glass being created by other Prairie School architects at this time. Later additions to the site include the parsonage built in 1920 designed by architect G. E Pearson and the second parsonage in 1928 by E. F. Dowling. (Specification of Austin Organ Company - Opus ): Pedal Organ: Great Organ (Manual II): 16' Double Diapason 16' Bourdon 16' Violone 8' Open Diapason 16' Bourdon (Great) 8' Doppel Flute 16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell) 8' Violoncello 8' Gross Flute 8' Gemshorn Swell 8 4' Octave Swell 4 4' Harmonic Flute Great 8 Swell 16 Great 4 Swell 8 Choir 8 Swell 4 Choir 16 Unisons (Stop Tabs): Choir 8 Choir 4 Swell On 8 Tremolo Choir On 8 Chimes (Deagan) Volume 1-5 Swell Organ (Manual III): Choir Organ (Manual I): 16' Lieblich Gedeckt 8' Concert Flute 8' Rohr Flute 8' Dulciana 8' Echo Salicional 4' Flute D'Amour 4' Octave 2' Piccolo 4' Flute Traverso 8' Cornopean 2 2/3' Nazard 8' Vox Humana 2' Piccolo Choir 16 8' French Horn Choir 4 8' Oboe Swell 16 Swell 16 Swell 8 Swell 4 Swell 4 Tremolo Tremolo Accessories: 8 General Pistons (Cash Register Style above Manual III) 8 Swell Pistons (thumb below Manual III) 8 Great Pistons (thumb below Manual II) 8 Choir Pistons (thumb below Manual I) Toe Studs: Pedal Pistons 1-4 Pedal Reversible Sforzando Expression Shoes: Choir & Great Swell Crescendo (Information resourced from a published history by the Edgewater Historical Society, Bethany Lutheran Church historical documents and on-site visits.) 19

20 Driving Directions for October 21, 2006 Organ Crawl From Downtown Chicago to North Shore Baptist Church North Lakewood Avenue: Take Lake Shore Drive North and exit at Foster Avenue. Proceed West through four (4) stoplights (4 th stoplight is Broadway Avenue) and then on two (2) blocks to stop sign. Turn right at stop sign (Lakewood Avenue) and proceed one (1) block North to North Shore Baptist Church. APPROXIMATE DRIVING TIME: 20 minutes. APPROXIMATE DISTANCE: 8 miles. From North Shore Baptist Church to Unity Lutheran Church North Magnolia Avenue: Proceed North on Lakewood Avenue one (1) block to Balmoral Avenue. Turn right onto Balmoral Avenue and proceed one (1) block to Magnolia Avenue. Unity Lutheran Church is at the corner of Balmoral and Magnolia. Since these two (2) churches are very close together, you may want to walk the two (2) blocks between the churches and view the historic homes of this neighborhood. APPROXIMATE DRIVING TIME: 5 minutes. APPROXIMATE DISTANCE: 0.2 miles. From Unity Lutheran Church to Edgewater Presbyterian Church West Bryn Mawr Avenue: Proceed East on Balmoral one (1) block to Broadway Avenue. Turn left onto Broadway Avenue and proceed North two (2) blocks to Bryn Mawr Avenue. Turn right onto Bryn Mawr Avenue and proceed East two (2) blocks to Edgewater Presbyterian Church at the corner of Kenmore Avenue. (NOTE: parking may be limited around Edgewater Presbyterian Church, so please arrive early from your luncheon choice of restaurants.) APPROXIMATE DRIVING TIME: 5 minutes. APPROXIMATE DISTANCE: 0.5 miles. From Edgewater Presbyterian Church to Bethany Lutheran Church West Thorndale Avenue: Proceed West on Bryn Mawr Avenue to Broadway Avenue. Turn right onto Broadway Avenue and proceed North to the third stoplight (Thorndale Avenue). Turn left onto Thorndale Avenue and proceed one block West to Bethany Lutheran Church located at Magnolia Avenue. APPROXIMATE DRIVING TIME: 5 minutes. APPROXIMATE DISTANCE: 0.6 miles. A SUGGESTION FOR THE DAY: Since all of these churches are very close together and if the weather of the day permits, you may want to park your vehicles and walk to each of the church locations. There are several restaurants in the immediate neighborhood of these churches for a variety of luncheon options. The distances between each church location ranges from 2-6 blocks. This is an ideal way of viewing the architectural details of the homes and buildings in the Lakewood-Balmoral area and the Edgewater Historic District! Left to right: Adam Gruber, Kipp Cortez and Mark Mackeben sporting the now sold-out Chicago-Midwest OHS Anniversary T-shirts at the Chicago AGO Convention this past summer. 20

21 Above: The gilded organ screen with painting of St. Cecilia in rear gallery of St. Jerome s Catholic Church. ST. JEROME CATHOLIC CHURCH 1709 West Lunt Avenue Chicago, Illinois St. Jerome Roman Catholic Church: Picture this scene in 1894, perhaps there were 3,500 residents in the area called Rogers Park, including what is no known as West Ridge. Almost everyone lived in single-family houses, except for those shopkeepers who lived above their stores, particularly along Clark and Ravenswood Streets. There was no electricity and there was no "L" service and no streetcar (the streetcar stopped at Devon Avenue); automobiles were a rare curiosity, but there were two railroad lines - the Chicago and Northwestern, along its present route but at ground level, and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, which ran on the ground where the "L" is today. The people had horses and carriages while woods, small farms and greenhouses and a water pumping station at Touhy Avenue also populated the area. Many streets still were not paved. The Rodgers Park village has just been annexed to Chicago in When the "L" line was completed to Howard Street in 1908, and especially after it was elevated in 1917, people flocked to the then suburban setting along the lakefront. Apartment buildings and apartment hotels sprang up along the line and the population surged. With virtually no building or zoning codes, apartment builders allowed just enough room for sidewalks. 21

22 In those early years, Rodgers Park was settled by a wide mix of people, mostly of European extraction (Luxemburgers, Irish, Germans), but most spoke English. Those Chicago immigrants who wanted to maintain their native Italian, Polish or other languages moved to neighborhoods dominated by their countrymen, leaving Rogers Park to become an American melting pot. In the early days of Rogers Park, the few Catholics had two alternatives for Sunday mass: St. Henry's Church (1851) at Ridge and Devon, about a mile away and where the sermon was in German; or at St. Mary's Church in Evanston (1865) almost three miles away. In 1872 Mrs. Catherine Touhy built a small frame mission church, St. Catherine's at Kenilworth Avenue (now Touhy Avenue) near Wolcott and a priest from St. Mary's would come every few weeks to say Mass. Unfortunately the church burned to the ground just nine months later. There was no replacement until 1893 when a committee approached the pastor of St. Mary's to ask if he might send a priest to say Mass in Rogers Park on Sundays. A local parishioner Peter Philip offered his store at Ravenswood and Lunt as a site. With the approval of the archbishop, the first Mass was said in this mission church on November 1, In the spring of 1894 the strong Catholic spirit of the little community led to the formation of a new parish. Plans were drawn; property acquired and a little wooden church dedicated to St. Jerome was quickly constructed at Morse and Paulina. This small church had a steeple, a choir balcony and a stained glass window above the entrance door. The first Mass at St. Jerome was celebrated on September 11, 1894 by the Pastor of St. Mary's Church in Evanston. The history of St. Jerome Parish quickly became a story of growth as the needs of the booming population were served with a school, a larger church and several expansions. Tied with the population growth, new parishes were established carving up the original area served by St. Jerome and St. Henry, St. Ignatius was established in 1907, St. Gertrude in 1912, St. Margaret Mary in 1921 and St. Timothy in Today the church serves three communities, the English-speaking community, the Hispanic community and a smaller Haitian Community. In 1913 the cornerstone was laid for a new church (the north half of the present day church) at the southeast corner of Lunt Avenue and Paulina Street. Church records indicate that the completed church with its magnificent pipe organ and white marble altar was dedicated by Archbishop Mundelein. (It is interesting to note that while church records indicate an organ being installed at this time, the Austin Organ nameplate on the console records the installation date of Further research will be necessary to determine if the original organ was enlarged by Austin or if there was a new organ installed by Austin near the time of the church building major expansion.) In 1931 the decoration of the church in a rich medieval style was completed. After a significant growth in church attendance, the alley bisecting the property from east to west was condemned allowing the existing church to be enlarged to its present size. New altars of black marble were installed and dedicated by Cardinal Mundelein with the main altar being designated a Privileged Altar. Parishioners and visitors to St. Jerome Church marvel at the Italian Renaissance style of architecture blended with a touch of the then modern Art Deco of the 1930's. The 23-foot-high columns flanking the main altar were each hewn from single blocks of black marble. They are inlaid with silver mosaic as are the pillars flanking the side altars. The entire main and side altars as well as the floor and original steps are fashioned from Italian and Belgian marbles. At the top of the main altar rising 40 feet is a golden cross, while beneath it is a sculptured white marble dove. On each side are Florentine mosaics, a form of marble inlay work. On the left side (Gospel) is a chalice and two doves, symbolic of human souls and hungering for the Bread of Life; on the right side is an anchor and fish symbolizing Christian hope in Christ. Across the top are the Latin words indicating that this is a Privileged Altar conferring special blessings. Five statues are of particular unusual interest. Their clothing, hands and faces are carved from naturally colored marbles fitted together without any visible seams. They include the Blessed Virgin with the Christ Child, St. Joseph, Sacred Heart, St. Peter and St. Paul. The center stained glass window over the main altar depicts the Last Supper with the window on the East side showing the Oblation of Melchisedech while the window to the West depicts the Sacrifice of Abraham. The large painting spanning the arch over the main altar, some 60 feet above the floor, depicts men, women and children of all walks of life gathered around the monstrance, the gold vessel containing the Eucharist. On the ceiling directly above is a painting of equal size showing God the Father and Holy Spirit flanked by angels adoring the cross and chalice. Alongside the main altar are large paintings depicting Christ the King and Mary, Queen of Heaven. The Baptistry (no longer used) behind the main altar is decorated in black marble with stained glass windows depicting Adam and Eve and the Baptism of Christ. All 22

23 visitors to this church of St. Jerome should note the 20 large stained glass windows on the East and West side walls, the 24 statues at the triforium level just below the ceiling arches and the 20 ceiling paintings in the arched ceiling. High in the rear of the church is a three-sectioned stained glass window depicting Our Lord's Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. The organ in choir loft has not been used for many years. The acoustics of the church with sound flowing from the organ gallery over the vaulted ceiling are impressive. Choirs singing from the loft did not need microphones. The gilded screen covering the organ pipes was installed in The painting of St. Cecilia, the patroness of church musicians was added in (Specification of Austin Organ Company - Opus ) Pedal Organ: Great Organ (Manual II): 16' Open Diapason 8' Open Diapason 16' Bourdon 8' Doppel Flute 16' Dolce Bourdon (Swell) 8' Viole da Gamba 8' Gross Flute 8' Dulciana Swell 8 4' Principal Swell 4 8' Tuba Great 8 Great 16 Choir 8 Great 4 Swell 16 Unisons (Stop Tabs): Swell 8 Swell on 8 Swell 4 Great On 8 Choir 16 Choir On 8 Choir 8 Choir 4 Chime F Chime P Carillon (Tower?) Swell Organ (Manual III): Choir Organ (Manual I): 16' Bourdon 8' Concert Flute 8' Open Diapason 8' Dolce 8' Stopped Flute 4' Flute 8' Echo Salicional 8' Cor Anglais 8' Voix Celeste Tremolo 4' Flute Choir 16 8' Oboe Choir 4 8' Vox Humana Swell 16 Tremolo Swell 8 Swell 16 Swell 4 Swell 4 Blank Accessories: 8 General Pistons (Cash Register Style above Manual III) 8 Swell Pistons (thumb below Manual III) 8 Great Pistons (thumb below Manual II) 8 Choir Pistons (thumb below Manual I) Toe Studs: Generals 9-14 Pedal Reversible Sforzando Pedal Lever: (Not Labeled - added later - maybe Carillon) Great/Choir - Swell - Crescendo Indicator Rollers Divisional Cancel Bars above Stop Tabs (Information resourced from a published history by St. Jerome Catholic Church in 1994 and on-site visits.) 23

24 Dulciana s Diary Having been retired for several years now, Dulciana never expected to take pen (in this case, keyboard) in hand again. However, on June 6 th, some gorgeous sounds issuing from the wonderful Skinner at 1 st Congregational Church in Evanston drew her inside. David Schrader was doing his usual excellent job, bringing Dubois, Messiaen, Guilmant, Alain, Franck and Dupré to life. Wallowing in the sound, she looked around and these weary old eyes fell upon many old friends and acquaintances, all gathered there to celebrate 25 years of the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the OHS. Susan Friesen was her usual gracious self, welcoming Dulciana and helping her to be at home. Sitting down, Dulciana saw with great pleasure that the man seated next to her was none other than David McCain, also on a rare visit to Chicago. What a treat for sore eyes! Sartorial splendor, ruddy tan and unwrinkled face - a standout in any crowd! But outward appearance, fine as it was, couldn t do justice to the courageous, energetic, enthusiastic and mischievous mix of a man who got the chapter off to a roaring start 25 years ago. What a privilege to spend some precious time with him. After the recital, the assembled throng gathered at a local fish restaurant to celebrate. Along with some folks from the North Shore Chapter of the AGO, all were royally fed, with one member getting a giant bottle of olives from the waiter, who must have had a crush on her. But, as they say, a good time was had by all, and Dulciana found herself at a seat of honor with David McCain in the midst of old friends and dignitaries - OHS National President Mike Friesen, local and national luminary Steve Schnurr, the always compassionate Brother Ben Basile, the ever gallant Bob Voves, olive-loving Julie Stephens, the afore-mentioned Susan Friesen, the mischievous Dennis Northway (arriving late with a box of purple Tee Shirts!), the ebullient Chapter President Bob Woodworth, the gentlemanly Bill Aylesworth, the man whose smile precedes him into the room - Jimmy Brown, our fashion plate (oh, those hats!) Kirstin Synnestvedt, the slim and handsome Mike Shawgo and the ever reliable Derek Nickels. Dulciana also had the pleasure of dining with and meeting two fine and knowledgeable brothers - Dan and Chris Buck. Nice meeting you, fellas. Not to be overlooked were Bob Porter and John Mackey. Dulciana saw them at the recital but missed them at the dinner. All in all, a good representation of the Chapter. Dulciana would be remiss if she didn t set the record straight on one thing - she had to take Julie Stephens to the woodshed. When the Chicago-Midwest Chapter was founded, although David and Julie and a few others preceded them by a few months in getting the idea of a chapter going, Susan Friesen and Mike Friesen also signed the petition to set up the chapter at the same time as the rest, so they also deserve the title of Founding Members. I had a word with Julie, and she expresses her extreme apologies at screwing up the history and begs forgiveness from Susan and Mike. Well, if Dulciana doesn t quit now, this treatise will be as long as her successor s. So, she will sign off, and promise that this is really her last diary entry! And one more hug for her old friend David McCain - wonderful seeing you again, David. 24