Maple Street Chapel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maple Street Chapel
Religion
Affiliation	United Church of Christ, formerly Congregational
Leadership	Rev. Jeffrey Phillips
Location
Location	Maple and Main Streets Lombard, DuPage County, Illinois, U.S.
Architecture
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1870; 155 years ago (1870)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Added to NRHP	August 10, 1978
NRHP Reference no.	78001144

The Maple Street Chapel is a really old and beautiful building in Lombard, Illinois. It's designed in a style called Gothic Revival, which looks a bit like old castles or churches. This special building is owned by "The First Church of Lombard."

A Look Back in Time

The church community used to meet in a different building built in 1851. The Maple Street Chapel, which holds 170 people, was officially opened on May 29, 1870.

For its first 50 years, a room in the chapel was used as the village's very first free public library. It held books from Josiah Torrey Reade, a former student of Amherst College. The first kindergarten class in Lombard was also held right here in the church!

The chapel's bell did more than just call people to Sunday services. It also rang to alert the village's volunteer fire department if there was a fire in town. Back then, people would rent pews (church benches), and the ones closest to the heater were the most popular. After the year 1900, the Chapel even showed silent movies! The Maple Street Chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This means it's recognized as an important historical place.

Today, the Chapel is no longer used for regular church services. Instead, it's a popular spot for weddings, concerts, and other special events. The First Church of Lombard still serves the community, but their worship services are now held in a larger building next door. The First Church of Lombard is connected with the United Church of Christ. Their pastor since 2020 is Rev. Dr. Jill Terpstra. While the First Church of Lombard still owns the building, a group called the Maple Street Chapel Preservation Society, Inc. helps take care of it and keep it in good shape.

Building Style

The Maple Street Chapel is a rectangular building with a pointed roof, built in the Gothic Revival style. Its main front faces north. There are porches that let you enter the church on the northeast, northwest, and southwest sides.

The church has eleven large, fancy windows with special colored glass called Grisaille. Five of these windows are on the east side, five on the west, and one on the north. There are also six smaller, clear glass windows on the south side and two on the north. A tall tower with an open bell area and a spire stands at the north end of the building. Smaller spires are found to the east and west of this tower on the north side. The original entrance on the north side was removed in 1915 when Maple Street was paved. New entrances were built to replace it. Inside, the pews, the wood paneling on the walls (wainscoting), and the pine floor are all original parts of the building.

Videos

• History of Lombard's Maple Street Chapel on YouTube