Committee considers landmark status for Stone Temple Baptist

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Chicago church visited by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., could soon become a city landmark.

Stone Temple Baptist Church has been in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood for 90 years.

Members of the city's Landmark Committee will consider a recommendation that the church be recognized for its historical significance.

The church started out as a Jewish synagogue and became a church in 1954 as the African American population of the West Side continued to grow. It is one of only a few Chicago houses of worship where Dr. King preached.

"Stone Temple Baptist Church has been a community icon in North Lawndale for decades, providing a forum for Dr. Martin Luther King's vision for equitable housing in Chicago during the civil rights era, and a place of worship for community residents since the 1920s," Mayor Emanuel said. "It's entirely appropriate that the Landmarks Commission should consider honoring its important role in the community with a Landmark designation."