St. Michael's Church, Old Town, Chicago - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

St. Michael's Parish was founded in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago in 1852 and since 1860 has been staffed by Redemptorist priests. The current church building was built between 1866 and 1869, only to be gutted during the great Chicago fire of 1871. The walls of the church remained standing, and the rest of the church was rebuilt, being consecrated and rededicated on October 12, 1873. In the early 20th century, the enormous 56 foot high altar was installed. Today, the parish continues its mission and is considered an historic landmark in the Old Town neighborhood.

From Wikipedia:

"St. Michael's Church in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago is a Roman Catholic church staffed by the Redemptorist order of priests. The parish was founded to minister to German Catholic immigrants in 1852 with its first wooden church completed that year at a cost of $750 (including the bell). The building stands at the intersection of Eugenie Street and Cleveland Avenue. The church was built as a haven for German immigrants who were outcasts in Old Chicago. In addition, the town's main church, St. Joseph's Church, was overcrowded. The Redemptorists were invited to administer the parish in 1860 and a large brick church was finished in 1869. When completed, its tower made it the tallest building in Chicago and the United States, a distinction it held until the old Chicago Board of Trade Building was completed in 1885.

"The church was one of seven buildings to 'survive' the path of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, albeit heavily damaged. While most of Old Chicago's infrastructure was made of wood, the church was made of brick which helped it survive the fire. Portions of the building survived—the stone walls of St. Michael's being the only structures standing in the Old Town area. The church was quickly rebuilt.

"There is a saying in Chicago that if you can hear the bells of St. Michael's, you are in Old Town.

"When Mayor Richard J. Daley's urban renewal program began, it was the Old Town Triangle Organization of the Lincoln Park Conservation Association that took the lead in promoting urban renewal. St. Michael's like many other neighborhood institutions took advantage of the program to rehab and to expand."

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