Pilgrim Baptist Church
- Architect
- Adler & Sullivan
- Year
- 1890
- Style
- Chicago School
- City
- Chicago, IL
- Collections
- adler & sullivanthe chicago school
Pilgrim Baptist Church at 3301 South Indiana Avenue was built in 1890-91 by Adler & Sullivan as a synagogue for Kehilath Anshe Ma'ariv, the Reform Jewish congregation Dankmar Adler belonged to and whose rabbi was his father. A Baptist congregation took over the building in 1922, renaming it Pilgrim Baptist Church, and the building is credited as the birthplace of gospel music in the 1930s. In 2017 it was sold to the National Museum of Gospel Music.
the building
Birthplace of gospel music. Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the "Father of Gospel Music," served as the church's music director for decades, and singers including Albertina Walker, Mahalia Jackson, and Aretha Franklin were part of its congregation's musical life.
the style
The facade carries the ornamental detailing associated with Louis Sullivan's work, applied here to a synagogue commission rather than the commercial buildings the firm is best known for.
More on Chicago Schoolthe architect
Dankmar Adler, partner in Adler & Sullivan, was himself a member of the Kehilath Anshe Ma'ariv congregation — his father served as its rabbi — making this synagogue commission a personal one for the firm.
significance
Pilgrim Baptist Church was designated a Chicago Landmark on December 18, 1981, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2017, the building was sold to the National Museum of Gospel Music.
nearby
- Carr Memorial Chapel
- Robert W. Roloson Houses
- McCormick Tribune Campus Center
- Crown Hall
- Ida B. Wells-Barnett House
- Martin Roche–John Tait House