Preserving Sacred Spaces: A Project from the McGreal Center Makes it Possible to Virtually Tour Historical Faith Communities
With one click, sweeping views of the Sinsinawa Mound come into focus.
The fields and the trees are a brilliant green, and with a click on the arrows dotting the landscape, several virtual, 360-degree tours emerge. Click again, and Sr. Priscilla Wood, OP, will share tidbits of background and history on the buildings, spaces and artifacts spanning your computer or tablet screen.
Computer technology offers many more options for archiving history. for 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Historical Studies at 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½, is harnessing this technology to preserve and digitally archive buildings and spaces that are historically important to the 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ family and to faith communities in Chicago.
There are more than a dozen virtual tours available to view through the McGreal Center’s website, with still more to come. Each includes drone footage, 360-degree tours of spaces within, a collection of photographs, a brief history of the building, descriptions of key features, and a bibliography of resources that viewers can use to learn more. Some sites also have audio narration.
The project has given undergraduate and graduate students at 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ hands-on learning experience in archival work while they help to preserve spaces that have local, historical or religious significance.
“91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ has always been a leader in humanities research in the greater city,†said Dr. Christopher Allison, director of the McGreal Center, who is leading the Sacred Spaces project. “It’s important for us to do this in terms of our mission for historical preservation and also for preserving our cultural heritage.â€
Celebrating the 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Family
The digital archive of the Sinsinawa Mound, which was created in 2021, honors Queen of the Rosary Chapel and the artistry of Sr. Teresita Kelly, OP, designer of the chapel’s art, windows and altar, said Sr. Priscilla. Also honored is the legacy of the Sinsinawa Sisters, she added.
“It’s important because it preserves that building, whatever the future holds for it,†she said of Sacred Spaces. “It keeps the visual memory of what it looked like and how it served our Sisters for almost 65 years—and the public who loved coming into that space.â€
In addition to the Mound, the 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ spaces included in the digital archive are: St. Thomas Aquinas Priory in River Forest, previously owned by 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½; St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in River Forest; Trinity High School’s chapel in River Forest; the 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus in Chicago’s Pilsen community; and the Grand Rapids 91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Motherhouse at Marywood in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
A grant from the Driehaus Foundation of Chicago has made it possible to document religious spaces within the city of Chicago, which is the project’s current focus, Allison said.
Churches, mosques, a synagogue and a Buddhist temple are featured. All archives, Allison notes, are created with involvement from the communities that use the buildings for worship.
“One thing we don’t do is try to interpret the space on our own,†he said.
‘A Really Good Story’
The latest Sacred Spaces project is scaling new heights—literally.
Research and photography work has started on First United Methodist Church of Chicago, known as the Chicago Temple. Many recognize the 100-year-old building, located across from Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago, for what looks like the top of a Gothic cathedral perched on the roof of a modern office building. While worship largely takes place in the first-floor sanctuary, thousands of people visit the Sky Chapel on the 26th floor each year, according to the congregation’s website.
David Foster, a church member who researched the building’s history for its centennial celebration last year, joined a team from the McGreal Center in February as they began the digital archiving process.
“They had this incredible drone, and they were going all around the tower, taking these magnificent pictures,†Foster recalled. “I thought, ‘Wow! Nobody will ever see the tower quite like this!’ It really is a huge favor for us. It will truly pick up on the special and remarkable aspects of the building and make them very accessible to folks.â€
Being part of Sacred Spaces will help the congregation— which has existed since 1831—share its church and its history with the world, and perhaps also draw in new members who are interested in what they see, Foster said.
“Of course, everyone knows a church is more than a building, but you cannot underestimate the value and importance of our physical surroundings and physical
space when you consider the worshiping activity that takes place in the church,†he noted. “What [91Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½] is doing has value in many, many ways.â€
The criteria for adding a faith-based site to the Sacred Spaces collection is fairly simple.
“We try to pick things that are historically significant, but also tell a really good story,†Allison said.
Unity Temple in Oak Park, for example, was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sacred Spaces drone footage captures the expansive exterior of the temple, while interior, 360-degree views highlight the geometric shapes of the sanctuary.
The Midwest Buddhist Temple in Lincoln Park was founded by a Japanese American reverend who had been held in an Arkansas internment camp during World War II, Allison said, and many of the congregation’s first members had similar experiences.
“It’s a very American story,†he said. “Their religious community really held them together.â€
