| Address | 4315 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1939 |
| Architect | Walter T. Bailey, 1946 Add. Kocher, Buss & DeKlerk |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | October 5, 1994 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings |
| Neighborhood | Grand Boulevard |
| Type | Place of worship |
| Landmark ID | L-79 |
Interior spaces protected by this designation
- two interior murals, in the entry foyer and behind the main altar.
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“Having broadcast its services since 1934, First Church was a pioneer in using the radio broadcast medium to further its religious mission. Since the days of the Depression, First Church of Deliverance has ministered not only to the spiritual welfare of the Grand Boulevard neighborhood but also to the varied aspects of its temporal welfare as well.”
“The twin-towered church also has played an influential role in modern musical culture. Through its national radio broadcast services and its choir director, Kenneth Morris, First Church pioneered the acceptance of gospel music, then in its infancy.”
“Additionally, First Church of Deliverance was the financial backer of one of the first gospel music publishing houses. The Martin and Morris Music Company was founded in 1940 by Kenneth Morris and Sallie Martin (1896-1988) who, through her pioneering work with Thomas Dorsey, is acclaimed as the "mother of gospel music." Reagon states that the company is "the oldest continuously operating gospel music publishing firm in the nation." Other national celebrities have been associated with the church.”
“Additionally, First Church of Deliverance has featured prominently in the history of Christian broadcasting in Chicago. It was one of the first African-American churches to conduct a radio program, one which is still in existence today.”
“The architecture of First Church is significant also as one of the last major installations of terra cotta as a cladding material. Terra cotta was an important aspect of Chicago's reputation for innovation in architecture, being used on virtually every major commercial building in the city from the 1880s through the 1920s.”
“Among the notable musicians who have been associated with First Church are Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Dinah Washington, and Sallie Martin, the "mother of gospel music." Finally, the success of First Church--the state's first organized Spiritual congregation--is owed to its first pastor and founder, the charismatic Rev.”
“Walter Bailey's design for First Church was a rare application of the Art Moderne style for an ecclesiastical structure. However, at the time of Bailey's design, First Church was actively promoting its gospel music and radio broadcast ministries, and the contemporary architecture was very much in keeping with the popular themes sounded by these new religious mediums.”
“In First Church's transformation of a former hat factory, beginning in 1933, the church departed from a common practice of African-American congregations, which was to adapt former churches and synagogues for new denominations.”
“In an attempt to regain some of the building market, the terra cotta industry developed mechanized production methods, as well as new products. The material for the First Church of Deliverence was provided by the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company of Chicago, a firm that pioneered the development of the architectural terra cotta industry.”