A Beacon of Hope Restored: Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church Receives Landmark Grant
A West Side Baptist church with deep roots in Chicago’s history – once captured in stunning photographs by Gordon Parks and recognized on the National Register of Historic Places – is set for a significant restoration thanks to a $500,000 grant. The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund announced the award to the architecturally significant Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, located at 2151 W. Washington Blvd.
Preserving a Legacy
The funds will be instrumental in repairing the church’s aging terra cotta and glazed brick facade, particularly on the south side of the building. Critical repairs also include rebuilding portions of the exterior masonry and addressing water leaks that threaten the structure’s integrity. The grant will further support the evaluation and potential repair of the church’s roof, windows, and chimneys, ensuring its preservation for generations to come.
A National Effort, Local Impact
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving historic sites in Chicago. Previous grants have benefited institutions like the Muddy Waters MOJO Museum (4339 S. Lake Park Ave.) and First Church of Deliverance (4315 S. Wabash Ave.).
“We’re thrilled to support so many important projects in Chicago,” stated Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. “We believe deeply that to understand a national story, we must uplift the cultural assets across the Chicago landscape, including the historically Black churches.”
A History Etched in Stone and Photography
Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church is one of 33 historic Black churches across the country to receive funding, totaling $8.5 million, through the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Originally built in 1901 as the Third Church of Christ, Scientist, and designed by architect Hugh M.G. Garden, the building is a unique architectural gem. Its light blue glazed brick exterior is a rare and striking feature for a house of worship.
The church, designated a Chicago landmark in 1989 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, was purchased by the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist congregation in 1947.
Gordon Parks’ Unseen Vision
In 1953, the church became the subject of a photo essay by legendary LIFE magazine photographer Gordon Parks. His powerful black-and-white images captured the vibrant life of the congregation – baptisms, prayer, children in their Sunday best, and the energy of worship within the church’s magnificent sanctuary. Remarkably, the magazine never published Parks’s photos or accompanying story at the time.
However, the images gained recognition and, according to the Gordon Parks Foundation, he described Metropolitan as “a temple of hope to thousands of Negro people caught in the backyard of this vast city. It is a haven in a world of unending trouble.”
Continuing a Tradition of Support
This grant follows a previous round of funding in January, where the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund awarded $5 million to five other historic Black churches, including Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, the site of Emmett Till’s open-casket funeral in 1955.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
