Beverly Unitarian Church

Beverly Unitarian Church is a Unitarian Universalist ("UU") church in Chicago, Illinois.[1]

Beverly Unitarian Church
The Givins Castle in 1890, 50 years before becoming the church.
41.706812°N 87.671336°W / 41.706812; -87.671336
Location10244 South Longwood Drive
Beverly, Chicago, Illinois
CountryUnited States
DenominationUnitarian Universalism
Membership70 adults, 10 children
WebsiteBeverly Unitarian Church
History
StatusChurch
Founded1878 (1878)
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Clergy
Minister(s)David Schwartz

The church formed in 1951 by the merger of two congregations: the Beverly Unitarian Fellowship, which had begun in 1941, and the People's Liberal Church founded in 1878.[2] People's Liberal Church was known by a variety of names over the years: In 1878 it was called the Unitarian Universalist Christian Union Society of Englewood, or simply the Christian Union Society; in 1880 on moving to a new building, it was named First Universalist Church of Englewood; in 1889 it moved to a larger building and was called Stewart Avenue Universalist Church.[3]

The Givins Irish Castle

The current church building, called the "Irish Castle" was built from 1886 to 1887 under the direction of Robert C. Givins, a successful real estate developer.[4][5] It is a three story structure with three crenelated towers.[6] Givins lived in the castle from 1887-1894, then from 1895-1897 the castle housed the Chicago Female College. Beverly Unitarian Church purchased the building for $14,000 and has used it since 1942. It is the only building in the city described as a "castle."[7]

It has been claimed to be haunted.[8][9][10][11][12]

Ministers

People's Church prior to merger
  • 1878-1892 - Rev. Florence Kollock (at the People's Liberal Church of Chicago, then called alternately The Christian Union, and The First Universalist Society of Englewood)
  • 1892-1936 - Rev. Rufus Austin White (at The People's Liberal Church of Chicago)[13]
  • 1939-1944 - Donald S. Harrington (at The People's Liberal Church of Chicago, and 1942-1944 at Beverly Unitarian Fellowship as well)
  • Robert S. Hoagland
  • Willim D. Hammond
  • Hartley C. Ray

Beverly Unitarian Society prior to merger
  • 1941-1942 - Lon Ray Call
  • 1942-1944 - Donald S. Harrington
  • 1944-1946 - Jack Mendelsohn[14][15]
  • 1947-1950 - William Hammond
  • 1946-19xx - Helgi I. S. Borgford

After merger
  • 1950-1953 - Hartley Cabot Ray
  • 1954-1963 Vincent Silliman[16]
  • 1964-1970 Hunter Leggit, Jr.
  • 1970-1971 John Lester Young (interim)
  • 1971-1979 Robert L. Schaibly
  • 1980-1991 Roger Brewin
  • 1992-1993 Thomas Payne (interim)
  • 1994-2003 Leonette Bugleisi
  • 2003-2005 Jim Hobart (interim)
  • 2005-2008 Karen Matteson
  • 2008-2009 Ana Levy-Lyons
  • 2009-2014 Neil Shadle
  • 20XX-2014 Nan Hobart
  • 2014-2016 Karen Mooney
  • 2016-2017 John Smith
  • 2017-present David Schwartz

References
  1. http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/community/chi-ugc-article-chicagos-only-castles-big-problem-2017-05-22-story.html
  2. http://www.beverlyreview.net/news/featured_news/article_54b5319f-95bd-5bf4-9a9e-70eb138127d1.html
  3. http://uudb.org/articles/florencekollockcrooker.html
  4. Haunted Chicago: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends, pp 167
  5. http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2011/09/07/history-chicago-s-only-castle
  6. AIA Guide to Chicago, p378
  7. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-06-09/news/9506090065_1_haunted-legend-young-girl
  8. Haunted Places: The National Directory : Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings, and Other Supernatural Locations, p155
  9. http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2011/09/07/history-chicago-s-only-castle
  10. Haunted Chicago: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends, p 168
  11. Haunted Houses U.S.A., p117
  12. More Chicago Haunts: Scenes from Myth and Memory, p35
  13. http://uudb.org/articles/rufusaustinwhite.html
  14. The A to Z of Unitarian Universalism, p 328
  15. http://www.uuma.org/blogpost/569858/153512/In-Memory-of----Jack-Mendelsohn-1918-2012
  16. http://uudb.org/articles/vincentbrownsilliman.html
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