A Church Was Built And Left To Decay In The Middle Of Illinois' Largest City
By Melissa Mahoney|Published February 14, 2022
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I've worked in the entertainment industry for much of my adult life and I love photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world! Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream.
Ruins are always fascinating to see whether you’re an urban explorer, a photographer, or just enjoy history. These relics of the past remind us of what once stood in its place, fully intact, during its glory days. If you wish to see church ruins in Illinois, there is a site you have to visit in the middle of a Chicago neighborhood.
Located on the corner of 19th and Peoria in the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago's Lower West Side stands what remains of a 19th-century church. Built in 1880, the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church eventually fell into disrepair and then experienced significant damage.
The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church was originally built in 1880 but was abandoned and fell into disrepair by 1956. In 1979, a massive fire destroyed most of the church and in 1998, a windstorm destroyed it even further.
However, the facade and bell tower were left mostly intact and eventually restored by the owner of the church's property. The owner also planted a lawn behind the facade where the rest of the ruins lay.
The facade and the 90-foot tall bell tower remain the only parts of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church still standing. You can almost picture what it looked like back in its glory days.
It's quite incredible to visit these ruins and see what is left of a church that once served as a gathering place for so many people in the local community.
Have you ever explored church ruins in Illinois? Have you ever visited the site of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Ghost Church in Chicago? Let us know in the comments!
Abandoned places are quite fascinating. Check out this article on 11 abandoned places in Illinois that are worth checking out.
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