Second Presbyterian Church: An Arts and Crafts Masterpiece

Second Presbyterian Church, located on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, stands as a testament to both architectural resilience and artistic innovation. Organized in 1842, the congregation's early worship spaces evolved from a modest frame structure to a larger Gothic Revival church designed by James Renwick Jr.. This second building, known as the "Spotted Church" due to its limestone construction, was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.The current building, dedicated in 1874 and also designed by Renwick, is a landmark Gothic Revival structure. However, it is the interior that truly sets Second Presbyterian apart. Following a devastating fire in 1900, architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, a member of the congregation, reimagined the sanctuary in the Arts and Crafts style. This redesign, completed in 1901, resulted in one of the finest Arts and Crafts church interiors in the United States.The interior boasts thirteen Frederic Clay Bartlett murals in the Pre-Raphaelite style, along with a phenomenal collection of stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Edward Burne-Jones and others. The church features nine Tiffany windows dating between 1892 and 1918. Other notable features include carved wood panels, molded plaster angels, unique light fixtures, and original Arts and Crafts carpets. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, designated a Chicago Landmark in 1977, and a National Historic Landmark in 2013.Today, Second Presbyterian Church remains an active congregation, welcoming visitors to admire its architectural and artistic treasures.