Hyde Park Union Church has a long and distinguished history. The church was organized as the First Baptist Church of Hyde Park in 1874. The founding of the University of Chicago sparked a period of rapid growth in the church as President William Rainey Harper and a long list of early faculty figures joined and took prominent roles in the congregation. In 1904 the church renamed itself Hyde Park Baptist Church.
Hyde Park Baptist Church moved into its current sanctuary in 1906. Designed by architect James Gamble Rogers, the sanctuary is noteworthy for the equal symmetry of its length and height, its restored organ (Skinner 1913, Möller 1956), and exquisite stained glass windows by Tiffany, Connick and one German stained glass window by Ziegler. In the 1950s, Hyde Park Baptist Church merged with a UCC congregation to become Hyde Park Union Church. Throughout its history, the church has been a leading center of progressive Protestant Christianity, and today Hyde Park Union is a multicultural congregation deeply committed to social justice, serving and advocating for the poor, welcoming and affirming all persons without prejudice. The church takes full advantage of the sanctuary's excellent acoustics, with music ranging from the classical and traditional to African American spirituals and sacred jazz.
Visitor Experience
Visitors will have access to the sanctuary to view the architectural design and beautiful stained-glass windows.
