St. James Episcopal Church

Javascript is required to view this map.
St. James Episcopal Church before the Fire; P. B. Greene, Stereograph, 1871 (ichi-22327)

St. James Episcopal Church before the Fire; P. B. Greene, Stereograph, 1871 (ichi-22327)

St. James was one of a handful of North Division churches of great importance to the so-called Old Settler community.  The congregation’s earliest building of its own, was constructed in 1837 at Cass (now Wabash Avenue) and Illinois streets on land donated by Chicago pioneer John Kinzie.  St. James moved to its new (and current) location at the southeast corner of Cass and Huron just after Christmas in 1857, though the church was not fully completed until thirteen years later.  The architect was Edward Burling, whose work included the pre-fire Chamber of Commerce.

St. James Episcopal Church after the Fire; P. B. Greene, Stereograph, 1871 (ichi-64155)

St. James Episcopal Church after the Fire; P. B. Greene, Stereograph, 1871 (ichi-64155)

The gutted church building, from the same viewpoint as the previous image.  The 135-foot bell tower seems relatively unharmed in comparison to the rest of the structure. 

View Northeast toward the Water Tower after the Fire; Shaw, Stereograph, 1871 (ichi-64154)

View Northeast toward the Water Tower after the Fire; Shaw, Stereograph, 1871 (ichi-64154)

Another view of how completely the fire leveled the area surrounding the Water Tower, which is visible in the distance, with St. James Episcopal Church in the middle distance on the right and what is likely the photographer's wagon in the foreground.