Page Title


	St. Mary's Church is listed on the National Register Of Historic Places

On May 5, 1996, St. Mary's Church was added to the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. It qualifies for Criterion C for architecture for its eclectic Romanesque Revival and Renaissance Revival design by Chicago architect, Joseph Molitor. The period of significance is 1911, the year the church was completed. Among the church's Romanesque Revival features is its heavy massing with rock and smooth faced limestone walls and round arched opening. Among the Church's Renaissance Revival features is its use of classical inspired ornamentation including its Ionic pilasters on the exterior, Corinthian columns in the interior, and the central Byzantine inspired octagonal dome.

Home Page

First Time Visitor

Mass Schedule

Parish Activities

History

Servants of the Holy Heart


	About the architect... St. Mary's was the second of eight churches designed by Chicago architect Joseph Molitor. Molitor's career in Chicago was brief for there is currently no evidence of any other commissions after 1915. Speculation is he died during the flu epidemic. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that Molitor is among the best Catholic church architects Chicago had to offer in the early 20th century. He used a blend of Romanesque and Renaissance Revival styles with trace elements by Byzantine and Baroque, representing late 19th century and early 20th century American religious architecture. Moreover, it appears that the St. Mary's commission sparked the greatest "creative burst" of Molitor's career which left an indelible mark on Chicago's great religious architecture. About the window's of St. Mary's... St. Mary's Church contains an exceptional set of stained glass windows which depict the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An uncommon feature of these windows is their elaborate use of opalescent glass. This glass is masterfully matched for color and texture. The high level of compositional skill using the opalescent glass and the paintings depicted in St. Mary's windows is rare in the Midwest. They are a hybrid between the Munich style made famous by Mayer, Zettle and TGA and the finest of American craftsmanship represented by Tiffany Studios of New York. These windows are so very important because only a small number of this hybrid have survived in this quality and quantity.