Epworth United Methodist Church

Constructed in 1891, Epworth United Methodist Church offers a striking example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and is the oldest standing church building in the Edgewater community. Edgewater was incorporated only a few years earlier, in 1886, and the initial church membership reflected the rural community that included homes and farms along with Lake Michigan sand dunes and shrubbery. A railroad line was completed shortly after building the church, resulting in a population surge and the connection of Edgewater to Chicago and other neighboring communities.

Established in 1889 by three parishioners, the Epworth United Methodist Church first met in a private home. Membership rapidly increased, which pushed the congregation to seek a new home. Edgewater founder John Lewis Cochran donated land to the church, and architect Frederic B. Townsend (a church member) offered his services to the members intending to build a church building. As well, William Charles Goudy, a state senator who studied under a partner of Abraham Lincoln and who befriended Grover Cleveland, also donated money towards constructing a permanent place of worship. Built as a unique representative of fieldstone architecture, the building consists of sizable granite boulders that were shipped in from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Several questioned the decision to construct a church facility in Edgewater given its desolate nature, abounding in sand dunes and shrubbery; few people lived in the newly-created community (established 1886). 

However, Cochran persuaded the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad to open a stop in Edgewater, which led to a population boom and concurrent increase in Epworth United Methodist Church membership. Indeed, the church evolved into an institution that served a community that quickly became part of Chicago's densely-populated metro area. By the 1920s, the church's growth led the congregation to expand its facilities (completed in 1929), which included interior renovations and the addition of a gymnasium, kitchen, offices, parlors, and a new chapel. On October 13, 1935, the Sheridan Road United Methodist Church merged with Epworth because of substantial debt associated with the Great Depression. Epworth changed its name from Epworth Methodist Episcopal church to Epworth Methodist Church in 1948 and then again to Epworth United Methodist Church in 1968 when the denominations of the Methodist and United Evangelical Brethren merged. 

After serving the community for 133 years, the church closed its doors in 2022. Protected by Chicago's landmark status (and recognized by the National Register of Historic Places), a new plan by developers to transform the church into apartments will not leave the church unrecognizable; it will retain many of its historic features. The church with its unique architecture survives as one of the few links to Edgewater's early history as a rural, nearly desolate town prior to its place among a densely populated Chicago neighborhood.

Bruni, Carla. "Registration Form: Epworth Methodist Episcopal Church (1889-1948)." National Register of Historic Places. archives.gov. 2008. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892108

Kugler, Lukas. "Final landmark approved for Epworth Church. A developer has been eyeing the site for apartments." Urbanize Chicago. chicago.urbanize.city. April 15, 2023. https://chicago.urbanize.city/post/final-landmark-approved-epworth-church. 

Ward, Joe. "Edgewater’s Epworth Church Nears Landmark Status As Owner Plans To Turn It Into Affordable Apartments." Block Club Chicago. blockclubchicago.org. April 14, 2023. https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/04/14/edgewaters-epworth-church-nears-landmark-status-as-owner-plans-conversion-into-affordable-apartments/.