The smell of smoke was heavy on the air for miles around on the morning of October 7, 2015. Neighbors awoke to the news that the Shrine of Christ the King, 6401 S. Woodlawn Ave., had suffered a devastating fire – the second in the history of the building. When the hoses were packed up, the walls were still standing, but this pillar of the Woodlawn community faced an uncertain future. Members and neighbors are now fighting for its future. Learn why the building is worth saving, and what you can do to help.

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Along Drexel Boulevard on the South Side is Grant Memorial AME Church, which for more than 60 years has been a pillar of faith and giving back to the community. The church building is beautifully designed in the Neoclassical style, and is an important part of architectural and ecclesiastical history.

Designed by noted architect Solon Spencer Beman, this was the first Christian Science church built in the Greek Revival style, which would become the common building style of Christian Science and other churches for decades.

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At Jackson and Albany in East Garfield Park is Our Lady of Sorrows, one of three basilicas in the city. Like many churches and places of worship, the real effort in design and implementation went toward the inside rather than the outside of the structure.

The interior has one of the most spectacular displays of color, geometry, depth, and detail I’ve seen in a building.

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