A vacant lot on the southeast corner of North Kedvale and West Pierce Avenues in West Humboldt Park will be empty no longer, thanks to a building permit issued on November 14. The city is allowing the construction of a three-story plus basement, three-unit structure at 1511 North Kedvale Avenue, once the home of a modest frame church demolished some 15 years ago.
Site context, via Google Maps
The permit names Carlos Garcia as the property owner, and he is also the owner of the existing multi-unit building at 4117 West Pierce Avenue on the rear of the lot. According to real estate records, he purchased the property in 2013 and filed an application for new construction in March of this year. Details for the new residences include a roof enclosure, a porch and deck combination on the second floor, and a rear stairway connecting all three levels.
4117 West Pierce (left) and the existing curb cut on Pierce Avenue. Image via Google Street View
A three-space parking pad will be added, likely accessed from existing curb cut on Pierce Avenue between the new structure and the existing one, as the new building will have no access to the rear alley. PMPC Architects is named as the architect of record, and Real View DD LLC, registered to the same address as PMPC, will perform general contractor duties. The permit cites a reported cost of $280,000.
August 2007 Google image showing the church building on this corner. 4117 West Pierce is to the left.
A search for information about the church building yielded little result. Google Street View images from 2007 show the structure still standing, but there is no signage evident in those images. The building at 4117 West Pierce appears to have been part of the church, perhaps used as a rectory or as an accessory building or annex. If you can share information about the church’s history, please add to the comments below.
Local transit options, via Google Maps
Three CTA bus routes are within a three-block walk of 1511 North Kedvale. The Route 65 bus stops one block south along Grand Avenue, and the #72 North Avenue bus is less than two blocks to the north. A three-block walk west leads to Route 53 buses at Pulaski Road.
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According to newspaper archives + maps it was Emmaus United Methodist (originally Emmaus Norwegian Danish Methodist Episcopal)
I could not find a founding or construction date. The earliest found mention was a Sept. 1908 article about some pastor drama-meaning it was already well-established by late 1908. Another article says that “the oldest charter member” of the church arrived in the US in 1873. A 1909 map of the area shows a church there that appears to perfectly match the streetview building. The last mention of the church in newspapers appears to be 1993?
Also a 1970s obituary for the pastor has his address as 4117 W Pierce, so right about the existing building being related.
(The 1908 pastor drama: before being assigned to this church, Rev. Wilhelm was part of a committee that disciplined another pastor for having “improper conduct toward a girl in his congregation.” Years later the disciplined pastor’s friend was going to re-assign Rev. Wilhelm from Emmaus to a remote Wisconsin church as revenge. Rev. Wilhelm resigned suddenly as pastor to avoid being relocated. He was elected editor of the church paper and got a raise. What became of the other two POS was not mentioned)