Lake View Presbyterian Church

This congregation was established in 1884 in Lake View Township. They commissioned a distinctive home by architect John Wellborn Root, who was known for his collaboration with Daniel Burnham. The shingle-sided building has triangular motifs and an octagonal tower with a conical roof. It opened in 1888--the year before Chicago annexed the suburb of Lake View and imposed a ban on such wood-framed construction. The sanctuary is simple and open and has evolved over time to meet the needs of the church. An 1898 expansion doubled the capacity of the church. A more recent renovation restored much of the interior. The exterior, long obscured with white asbestos fireproofing, received an award-winning restoration in 2005. Today, the building is back to Root’s original earth-toned vision.

John Wellborn Root, 1888