| Address | 729 E. Oakwood Boulevard, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1899-1901 |
| Architect | Patton, Fisher & Miller |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | September 21, 2022 (Final) |
| Neighborhood | Grand Boulevard |
| Type | Place of worship |
| Landmark ID | L-376 |
About this name
The City's fuller name is the one used here.
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“A NEW CHAPTER: THE MONUMENTAL BAPTIST CHURCH CONGREGATION Since its 1934 transformation into Monumental Baptist, the church conveys significant aspects of African American culture in Chicago. After the Great Migration began in earnest in the 1920s, church membership at African American churches in Chicago skyrocketed.”
“The building conveys the heritage of the Great Migration and the Civil Rights Movement. In 1934 the church was purchased by a Black Baptist congregation and rechristened Monumental Baptist Church which continues today.”
“Originally constructed between 1899 and 1901 as Memorial Baptist Church, the building housed a congregation associated with the University of Chicago and it conveys the area's initial development as Grand Boulevard, a neighborhood of high-quality urban-boulevard residences interspersed with large scale houses of worship.”
“Rev. D. E. King was also a founding member of Operation PUSH and hosted important early meetings of the then-new civil rights organization at Monumental Baptist Church. During the tenure of these three pastors, Monumental Baptist Church developed a strong musical program.”
“Their work is known to us through newspaper coverage of the day. The first of these is Rev. James Lafayette Horace who came to Monumental in 1933. He grew up in a farming community in Groveton, Texas, and in 1916 he graduated from Prairie View College in Texas, a Historically Black College.”
“While at Monumental in 1972, Rev. King Joined the board of the then newly formed civil rights organization Operation PUSH led by Jesse Jackson. That year King invited the board to Monumental for its first meeting which included a veritable Who's Who of prominent African American leaders in politics, education, entertainment and sports, including composer Quincy Jones, Boston Celtics star Bill Russell and baseball great Jackie Robinson.”
“Rev. Morris Harrison Tynes (pastor from 1954-1967) maintained Monumental's position as a place of cultural uplift and social justice as the modern Civil Rights Movement picked up steam. 1n 1957, Tynes helped organize and led a Chicago delegation to the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom in Washington, D.C., an early event in the movement.”
“Monumental Baptist emerged as one of the largest and most active congregations in Bronzeville that, in addition to spirituality, has served as an influential social, intellectual and political force in its members' daily lives.”
“Rev. Madison had increased the membership of Monumental from 100 to 375. By 1933, the congregation had grown to 300 members and began to thrive under the leadership of a succession of capable and energetic pastors who moved Monumental from strength to strength.”
“He was the first Black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, that service's second highest honor. A few months after his speech at Monumental, Miller was killed while serving in the Pacific aboard the USS Liscome Bay when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine.”