PDF Download: Preservation Chicago’s 2012 Chicago 7 Most Endangered Booklet
The Maxwell Street neighborhood has experienced tremendous change and urban renewal over the past century. The structure at 1352 S. Union reflects this. First constructed as a German School in 1869, it later became home to a Romanian synagogue, an African-American church, and then briefly an arts center. All of these changes in use have reflected the changing ethnic and socio-economic character of what was once Chicago’s port-of-entry neighborhood. While the appearance of the structure has been partially altered and now stands in the middle of new construction, the Dan Ryan Expressway, and urban renewal, this context simply reflects the transient nature of the neighborhood and demonstrates the tremendous staying power of one of the few structures to remain from before the 1871 Chicago Fire.
As a pre-fire structure that served many purposes in the port-of-entry Maxwell Street neighborhood, Gethsemane Church has a rich history. Designed by Augustus Bauer (architect of St. Patrick’s Church) and constructed in 1869, the structure initially served as a German School (the city’s first, in fact) for the neighboring Zion Evangelical Church. Though it was tied in with the church, this was not an explicitly religious school. The congregation later moved west in the typical Chicago pattern of migration, and the building was transformed to a new use — a Romanian Jewish congregation moved in and the building became a synagogue in 1905. This congregation later moved west to Lawndale, and the building became Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church – an African-American congregation – by 1935. Alterations to the front of the building took place soon thereafter. The church was noted as being “one of the most important institutions in family life” in the surrounding neighborhood (then known as “Black Bottom”), and the structure remained in use as Gethsemane until 2002, when it briefly became an arts/performance space called South Union Arts. While the structure has been altered over time (a new façade was added in 1944 when the building served as Gethsemane Church), the alterations reflect the changing uses of the structure over time to serve different populations that came through the Maxwell Street area.
The church has been vacant for several years. The John Paul II Newman Center at neighboring University of Illinois at Chicago is aggressively trying to purchase the property in hopes of razing the building and constructing a Catholic-centric dormitory facility. Neighbors are opposed to this plan, citing density and traffic.
"Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu cha ""Preservation Chicago: Chicago's 7 Most Endangered Booklets"" cha mwaka 2012, eneo la Maxwell Street limepitia mabadiliko makubwa na upyaji wa mijini katika karne iliyopita." Mfumo wa 1352 S. Union unaonyesha hili. Jumba hilo lilijengwa mwaka 1869 kama shule ya Kijerumani, lakini baadaye lilijengwa kuwa nyumba ya sinagogi la Kiromania, kanisa la Waafrika na Wamarekani, na kwa muda mfupi likawa kituo cha sanaa. Mabadiliko haya yote katika matumizi yameonyesha mabadiliko ya kikabila na kijamii-kiuchumi tabia ya kile kilichokuwa wakati mmoja Chicago bandari ya kuingia kitongoji. Ingawa muonekano wa jengo hilo umebadilishwa kwa sehemu na sasa liko katikati ya ujenzi mpya, barabara kuu ya Dan Ryan, na upyaji wa mijini, muktadha huu unaonyesha tu asili ya muda wa ujirani na inaonyesha nguvu kubwa ya kukaa ya moja ya miundo michache iliyobaki kutoka kabla ya Moto wa Chicago wa 1871. Kama muundo wa kabla ya moto ambao ulitumika kwa madhumuni mengi katika kitongoji cha bandari ya kuingia Maxwell Street, Kanisa la Gethsemane lina historia tajiri. Jengo hilo lilibuniwa na Augustus Bauer (mjenzi wa Kanisa la St. Patrick) na kujengwa mwaka 1869, na awali lilitumika kama Shule ya Kijerumani (ya kwanza katika jiji) kwa Kanisa la Kiinjilisti la Sayuni lililokuwa karibu. Ingawa shule hiyo ilikuwa na uhusiano wa karibu na kanisa, haikuwa shule ya kidini. Baada ya hapo, kutaniko hilo lilihamia magharibi, na jengo hilo lilibadilishwa na kuwa na matumizi mapya - kutaniko la Kiyahudi la Kiromania lilihamia na jengo hilo likawa sinagogi mwaka wa 1905. Baadaye, kutaniko hilo lilihamia Lawndale, na kufikia mwaka wa 1935 jengo hilo likawa Kanisa la Gethsemane Missionary Baptist - kutaniko la Waafrika-Wamarekani. Muda mfupi baadaye, sehemu ya mbele ya jengo hilo ilibadilishwa. Kanisa hilo lilijulikana kama "moja ya taasisi muhimu zaidi katika maisha ya familia" katika kitongoji cha karibu (kijulikana kama "Black Bottom"), na muundo huo ulibaki kutumika kama Gethsemane hadi 2002, wakati kwa muda mfupi ukawa nafasi ya sanaa au utendaji inayoitwa South Union Arts. Ingawa jengo hilo limebadilishwa kwa muda (mfano mpya uliongezwa mnamo 1944 wakati jengo hilo lilitumika kama Kanisa la Gethsemane), mabadiliko hayo yanaonyesha mabadiliko ya matumizi ya jengo hilo kwa muda ili kuhudumia idadi tofauti ya watu waliokuja kupitia eneo la Maxwell Street. Kanisa hilo limekuwa tupu kwa miaka kadhaa. Kituo cha John Paul II Newman katika Chuo Kikuu cha Illinois huko Chicago, Marekani, kimekuwa kikijaribu kununua jengo hilo kwa matumaini ya kulijenga jengo hilo na kujenga makao ya wanafunzi wa Katoliki. Majirani wanapinga mpango huo, wakitaja msongamano wa magari na msongamano wa magari.