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Fire Destroys Architectural Landmark

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Jan 7, 2006 11:03 pm US/Central

Fire Destroys Architectural Landmark

Architecture Expert Mourns Loss

CHICAGO (CBS) ― The landmark Pilgrim Baptist Church stood for 115 years as a Bronzeville icon.

As CBS 2's Chelsea Irving reports, the church was flanked with vaulted ceilings, amazing acoustics and ornamental designs.

The day after it was consumed by an enormous fire, just enough is left of Pilgrim Baptist Church to recall what it once was.

"It's heartbreaking," said former Sun-Times Architecture Critic Lee Bey. "I can't think of a building this important that's burned down in Chicago in at least the past 50 years, maybe more."

Bey stopped by Saturday to document the sad destruction of the historic building.

"It's a huge loss to Chicago history," Bey said. "It's a huge loss to national history as well."

The church was built in 1890, designed by famed architect Louis Sullivan, along with the engineering abilities of Dankmar Adler.

"They designed probably one of their best works," Bey said.

The stone and brick building is marked by dramatic arches and terra cotta embellishments on the exterior. Some of that remains. The ornate grand sanctuary with stained glass windows inside has been destroyed.

"If you ever walked inside the building, it was, like, unbelievable," said Alfonso Carrington with Pilgrim Baptist.

Church leaders vow Pilgrim Baptist will go on.

"We are planning to rebuild," Carrington said.

"It would be difficult and very expensive but experts say rebuilding the church is possible, recapturing what's been lost is not."

"What's really been lost is that tangible sense of history," Bey said.

It's a 115-year history that now must live mostly in memories and pictures.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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