HydePark-04

United Church of Hyde Park | Hyde Park | Chicago

In 1858, abolitionist Paul Cornell donated land to create the First Presbyterian Church of Hyde Park, a known destination of the Underground Railroad. After multiple rebuilds, the current Romanesque-Revival structure was completed in 1889 and received a major renovation in 1924. They were the first to offer Sunday School in Hyde Park, the first to integrate their congregation, the first to include women on their governing board, one of the first to assist African Americans during the Great Migration, and a leader in resettling Japanese Americans after the war, and remain a leader in equity among its citizens. The congregation is multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and socio-economically diverse, much like the neighborhood in which it is located.

Hyde Park is the 41st of the 77 distinct neighborhoods that characterize Chicago. With humble beginnings starting in the 1850's, the World's Columbian Exposition of 1892 brought great notoriety and fame to the area. Today it is bookended by two of the nation's most significant institutions; University of Chicago to the west, and Museums of Science and Industry to the east. It’s home to one of the most iconic masterpieces in American architectural design – Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, the location of the world's first artificial nuclear reaction, the birthplace of Playboy Magazine, and has been the home of greats Barack Obama, Muhammed Ali, Saul Bellow, Amelia Earhart, Mahalia Jackson, Kwame Raoul, Mary Todd Lincoln, and countless others. Hyde Park has seen a Renaissance in recent years, once again making 53rd Street a bustling community center.