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Chicago
Illinois
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United States
Campus / Institutional
Residential Complex
Adaptive Reuse
Under Redevelopment
Public Research
Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago
The Pine Grove project preserves a monumental street presence while replacing the sanctuary, dome, roof, and most of the historic building behind it.
Second Church of Christ, Scientist
2700 North Pine Grove Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60614
Precision: Exact
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Quick Take
- Solon S. Beman designed the church, completed in 1901 at Pine Grove and Wrightwood avenues.
- Preservation Chicago named it to the 2019 Chicago 7 Most Endangered list.
- The redevelopment retains three exterior facades and provides 22 apartments, 31 parking spaces, and approximately 4,700 square feet for the congregation.
Email updates for Second Church of Christ, Scientist.
Why It Matters
The church was a major Classical Revival work by Solon S. Beman, the architect whose career also shaped Pullman. Its temple front and masonry envelope gave a shrinking congregation an unusually prominent neighborhood presence.
The redevelopment is neither full preservation nor total erasure. Three facades continue to define the corner, but the sanctuary volume, dome, roof, north wall, and historic interior were removed for new construction.
That compromise makes the site useful for evaluating facade retention as a preservation strategy: the streetscape survives, while the building's spatial and material history is substantially changed.
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Research Narrative
A Church Designed As A Civic Monument
Completed in 1901, Beman's church used a broad stair, classical columns, pediment, and dome to give the Christian Science congregation a monumental place beside Lincoln Park.
The building's orange rating in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey recognized its architectural significance without providing permanent landmark protection.
What The Redevelopment Retains
The approved Booth Hansen design braces and incorporates the east, south, and west facades into a six-story residential structure. The congregation receives a smaller ground-floor worship space, while apartments rise behind the old walls.
The result preserves familiar public elevations but changes the church from a complete work of architecture into an exterior frame for a new program.
Public Actions
Campaign / Petition Record
Ordered oldest to newest.
2019
Preservation Advocacy
Preservation Chicago includes the church in its Chicago 7 Most Endangered list
by Public record Previous
The listing documented the architect, date, condition, and demolition risk.
May 2022
Development Approval
Chicago Plan Commission approves the revised redevelopment
by Public record Previous
The approved project reduced the earlier proposal to 22 units and six stories.
August 19, 2026
Construction Milestone
Exterior work approaches completion
by Public record Current
Windows and brickwork were complete while terrace work continued.
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Latest Google News
Latest 3 stories
Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago, Illinois
Design 50 2026: Architecture design.newcity.com
Open Story‘Sickness is not real’: North Little Rock lecture continues Arkansas’ Christian Science tradition The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Open StoryResearch article pages show a recent coverage slice. Paid subscribers can use Signals inside the workspace for longer results and additional follow-up tools around the place.
Watchlist Blog
Related Updates
1 published update is linked to this article.
Watchlist Blog
August 19, 2026
Second Church’s old walls now frame a nearly finished apartment building
The six-story Lincoln Park conversion has reached exterior finish work, making its bargain between streetscape preservation and interior...
FAQ
Was the whole church preserved?
No. The east, south, and west exterior facades were retained, but the historic interior, roof, dome, and north wall were removed for the new structure.
Sources
Source Trail
Urbanize Chicago: Plan Commission approval
news
Approved program, retained facades, height, and unit count.
Place Snapshot
- Place
- Second Church of Christ, Scientist
- Location
- 2700 North Pine Grove Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60614
- Coverage
- Exact
Key Facts
- Region
- Chicago, Illinois / Midwest
- Location type
- Religious building / residential conversion
- Built
- 1901
- Original architect
- Solon S. Beman
- Current status
- Under redevelopment with three historic facades retained
Design / Planning Timeline
Solon S. Beman
1899-1901
Milestone
Original architect
Designed the Classical Revival church.
Booth Hansen
2022-2026
Milestone
Redevelopment architect
Designed the six-story mixed religious and residential project behind retained facades.
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