First United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple.
77 W Washington St
Chicago, IL
Built: 1924
Arch: Holabird & Roche
Stye: Neo-Gothic
The Chicago Temple Building is a 568 foot tall skyscraper church located at 77 W. Washington Street in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the congregation of the First United Methodist Church of Chicago. It was completed in 1924 and has 23 floors dedicated to religious and office use. It is by one measure the tallest church building in the world based on the distance from the church's street level entrance to the top of the church's spire or steeple. Although by stipulating that a church building's usage be entirely or almost entirely devoted to religious purposes, then, by that standard, Ulm Minster in Ulm, Germany at 530 feet in height is the tallest church in the world.
It was the tallest building in Chicago from 1924 until 1930, when it was surpassed by the Chicago Board of Trade Building. This claim included the height of the steeple to maintain the title over the 35 East Wacker Building which opened in 1927.
The building is constructed on a steel frame faced with limestone and is designed in the neo-gothic style by the firm of Holabird & Roche. During planning and construction, the building was called City Temple, however by the time of completion, the name was changed to Chicago Temple.
Floors 4 through 21 of the building are rented office space with one residential area which is used by the Methodist church's senior pastor as a parsonage, occupying the three floors of the spire, just below the Sky Chapel. The sixth floor of the building once held the office of Clarence Darrow, the famous trial attorney.
First United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple.
77 W Washington St
Chicago, IL
Built: 1924
Arch: Holabird & Roche
Stye: Neo-Gothic
The Chicago Temple Building is a 568 foot tall skyscraper church located at 77 W. Washington Street in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the congregation of the First United Methodist Church of Chicago. It was completed in 1924 and has 23 floors dedicated to religious and office use. It is by one measure the tallest church building in the world based on the distance from the church's street level entrance to the top of the church's spire or steeple. Although by stipulating that a church building's usage be entirely or almost entirely devoted to religious purposes, then, by that standard, Ulm Minster in Ulm, Germany at 530 feet in height is the tallest church in the world.
It was the tallest building in Chicago from 1924 until 1930, when it was surpassed by the Chicago Board of Trade Building. This claim included the height of the steeple to maintain the title over the 35 East Wacker Building which opened in 1927.
The building is constructed on a steel frame faced with limestone and is designed in the neo-gothic style by the firm of Holabird & Roche. During planning and construction, the building was called City Temple, however by the time of completion, the name was changed to Chicago Temple.
Floors 4 through 21 of the building are rented office space with one residential area which is used by the Methodist church's senior pastor as a parsonage, occupying the three floors of the spire, just below the Sky Chapel. The sixth floor of the building once held the office of Clarence Darrow, the famous trial attorney.