St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church

With its soaring central bell tower clad in weathered green copper, St. Alphonsus has been a prominent feature of the six-way intersection of Southport, Lincoln and Wellington since 1896. The parish was founded by the Redemptorist Fathers in 1882. It was a major center of Chicago's north-side German community. The Gothic-Revival interior features a royal blue ceiling with pointed arches and golden ribwork in starburst patterns. This ceiling was restored after a 1950 fire. Murals, statuary, stained glass and bas-reliefs round out the rich interior. The neighboring Athenaeum Theater—originally a German community center and folk opera theater—is still owned by the church.

Boos, Bettinghofer, Schrader & Conradi, 1896