Episcopal Church of the Advent and Parish House

“Based on medieval European buildings from the mid-12th through 16th centuries, a more formal version of Gothic Revival quickly gained momentum, particularly for ecclesiastical architecture. One of the first examples of Gothic Revival in the U.S. is New York's Trinity Church (1839-1846, extant) by architect Richard Upjohn, who is regarded as the father of the movement in America.”

“The most significant alterations occurred at the Parish House, where a portion of the building was demolished to make way for the 1927 church. The windows and doors of the Parish House have also been replaced.”

“The Episcopal Church of the Advent and Parish House's congregation had a long history at 2900 W. Logan Boulevard. From its founding in 1901 by a small group of parishioners – including architect Elmer C. Jensen, to its growth and construction efforts in 1906 and again in 1927, to the changing demographics, whereby from the 1970s onward, the building was shared by the Iglesia Episcopal Nuestra Señora de las Américas until 2016.”

“The House is an excellent example of neighborhood-based ecclesiastical architecture executed in the Tudor Revival style. Attached to the church building, the parish house displays the characteristic features of the style, including ashlar Indiana limestone cladding, battered walls, and half-timbering within the front-facing gables.”

“Many names in the Church of the Advent's newsletters appear to be of Scandinavian origin, but it is unknown if this was a Scandinavian-specific church. After World War I, the neighborhood was at the beginning of a transition period, as the first-wave settlement of Germans and Scandinavians started to move out, and Polish and Russian Jewish families started to move in.”

“The goal was met and throughout the church's first three years, the congregation raised enough money to build a new home by soliciting donations from church members. They commissioned one of their parishioners, architect Elmer C. Jensen, to design the new church.”

“Jones taught Jensen architectural drafting in his house at night. When position for an errand boy opened in the office, Jensen was hired. He joined Jenney's office at the same time that the Home Life Insurance Building, the first "skyscraper” was being constructed.”

“The firms of Jenney and Mundie; Jenney, Mundie, and Jensen; and Mundie and Jensen; were responsible for changing the skyline of Chicago, creating almost 30 skyscrapers between 1885 and 1939, succeeding Jenney's development of the nation's first skyscraper, the Home Life Insurance Building, in 1885.”

“The Episcopal Church of the Advent and Parish House aligns with the architectural character of the district and the larger historical development of Logan Square. Founded in 1901, the Episcopal Church of the Advent possesses a strong historic and architectural connection to the early development of Logan Square.”