04/03/2026
Arda Design is proud to be working with Hyde Park Union Church and Berglund Construction restoring this iconic historic structure. We will be moving forward with the next phase of the renovation/restoration work. Congratulations to Hyde Park Union Church!
Hyde Park Union Church has received a $163K+ Adopt-A-Landmark grant to continue repairs on its landmarked building! https://ow.ly/as7E50YxPZA
Located on historic Woodlawn Avenue near the University of Chicago campus, the church is featured in the Landmarks Illinois WW1 database and received $5,500 for assessments from Landmarks Illinois grant programs: The Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side and The Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois.
Grant deadline is April 1💚https://ow.ly/IP8P50YxPZy
Starting in 2021, the congregation worked with Arda Design and Berglund Construction on a conditions assessment to develop a phased plan for repairs to the social hall, in particular its roof and the damage that roof leaks have caused. Now they have more funding to pursue repair and restoration!
The congregation was founded in 1874 by individuals who included founders of the University of Chicago, and the church was closely associated with the University until Rockefeller Chapel was built in 1928. Hyde Park Union Church was completed in 1906, the current sanctuary building was designed by architect James Gamble Rogers and financed by John D. Rockefeller through the American Baptist Education Society. It is a handsome example of the Romanesque Revival style popular in late-19th century Chicago. The massive rockface red Lake Superior sandstone facade is surmounted by a peaked cornice with limestone trim and a Celtic cross, framed by large corner towers.
