St. Adalbert Church Building (Former)

“While its components were built separately, the resulting St. Adalbert Parish Complex is a cohesive representation of early-twentieth century ecclesiastical architecture. The four buildings are tied together by architectural characteristics and ornament as well as their functionality.”

“Both church hierarchies and architects increasingly saw Classical architecture as a significant style for churches and related religious buildings. Christianity's early history, rooted in the Classical culture of ancient Rome, and the great Christian churches of the fifth and sixth centuries that were the earliest grand architectural expressions of this religious faith made Classicism seem both rationally and emotionally appropriate for modern church buildings.”

“Adalbert Complex exemplifies Chicago's contribution to the late-nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century architectural revival of grandly-scaled Classicism, commonly referred to as the “American Renaissance” and popularized by the World's Columbian Exposition that was held in Chicago in 1893.”

“As such, with the help of Bishop Thomas Foley, a new parish dedicated to Saint Adalbert of Prague was founded in Pilsen in 1874. Typical of many congregations, the parish did not have many resources in the beginning, and it spent its first years worshipping in an unfinished substructure with a temporary roof and altar until they were able to erect a proper church and school building in 1884, along the east side of Paulina Street between 16th and 17th Streets (both buildings are no longer extant).”

“Once again, a parade and an elaborate ceremony were held, with a reported 50,000 people in attendance at the event. St. Adalbert's majestic new home seemed suitable for such a thriving parish, which established itself as the center of Polish-American life and culture in Pilsen for many decades.”

“Gronkowski then hired renowned ecclesiastical architect Henry J. Schlacks to design a grand church. The cornerstone for the new church was laid in 1912 with much fanfare, including a celebratory parade around the neighborhood and a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Quigley.”

“Many residents closely associate neighborhoods with the religious buildings located there, and these buildings form important visual anchors within these neighborhoods. Beginning with the city's earliest churches and synagogues, Chicagoans have sought to create beautiful religious buildings in a variety of architectural styles.”

“Paul Outside the Wall, both in Rome. St. John of God Church (1918-20, no longer extant), served a Polish parish in the Back-of-the-Yards community and bore a striking resemblance to St.”

“Architect Henry J. Schlacks Architect Henry John Schlacks was born in Chicago in 1868. He studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and trained as a drafting apprentice at the renowned Chicago architectural firm of Adler & Sullivan before traveling Europe, studying different styles of religious architecture across the continent.”