| Address | 1124 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1888 |
| Architect | Frederick Ahlschlager |
| Status | Pending |
| Designation Date | July 2026 (Preliminary) |
| Type | Place of worship |
About this name
Cover, verbatim: 'Preliminary Summary of Information Submitted to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks in July 2026 First Immanuel Lutheran Church 1124 S. Ashland Ave.' The City's address list carries it as 'S. Ashland Ave. 1124 thru 1134 (evens) First Immanuel Lutheran Church (Preliminary)'.
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“Immanuel Lutheran Church is one of the finest examples of Frederick Ahlschlager's Gothic Revival churches that remain in Chicago, and is the only example that features a monumental, rough-face stone front that was the hallmark of several of the city's other prominent Gothic Revival churches of the period.”
“The decision to host Dr. King initially led to a brief period of strain within the congregation. George Manning, II, whose family had been among the first Black members to join the congregation in the 1950s, remembered hearing about a conversation between a White member of the congregation and Donald Becker after the vote.”
“The congregation's handsome Gothic- Revival church building on Ashland Avenue, which could accommodate 1,400 worshipers, advertised First Immanuel's importance within the neighborhood and in the German- American community.”
“That same year, First Immanuel re-opened its school as a pre-school and kindergarten program, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that the congregation was able to support educational efforts beyond its Sunday School program.”
“Under the leadership of pastors Ralph Moellering and Donald Becker, the church grew a new and diverse membership, becoming one of the first Missouri Synod churches to become fully integrated.”
“Many of the earliest and most architecturally significant examples of the style in the city—including Holy Family Catholic Church at Roosevelt Road and Blue Island Avenue (1857-1860) and Holy Name Cathedral at 735 N. Wabash Street (1875) -feature Gothic Revival exteriors paired with traditional cruciform plans and elaborate, highly ornamented interiors.”
“In the years following World War II, as many Protestant congregations in Chicago relocated from transitioning urban neighborhoods to new churches in the suburbs, First Immanuel Lutheran Church embarked on a program of outreach to the Near West Side's growing Black, Mexican, and Puerto Rican communities in an effort to create a fully integrated congregation that would continue to serve existing members while embracing the broader population of the neighborhood.”
“The church also played an important role in the establishment of several other German Lutheran congregations across the city through the organization of parochial schools. With the congregation expanding and the Near West Side's German population moving west, in 1888 First Immanuel Lutheran Church made the decision to construct the present church building at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Ashland Avenue.”
“Reverend August Oltroge, who replaced Erwin Meinzen as pastor of First Immanuel in 1948, encouraged the congregation to build a new church in the western suburbs, where many of its members had relocated.”
“It was said that Ahlschlager based all his church designs on a single template, and the only question he asked his clients was “How many windows do you want?” There seems to be some truth behind these statements.”