The future of the
former site of
Pilgrim Baptist
Church
is bright!

Plans are underway to make the site home of the National Museum of Gospel Music. The 45,000 square foot museum will feature:

  • Multigenerational programming and educational exhibits
  • Auditorium seating up to 350 designed for television production
  • Exclusive video archives and collection of the Stellar Gospel Music Awards programming
  • Listening and research library
The Future
The Fire
The History
The Future

Today the landmark limestone walls sit secured and stabilized.

Today the landmark limestone walls sit secured and stabilized. Jersey walls were installed to create pedestrian walkways at the request of the GAP Community. Preservationists, the City of Chicago, the Bronzeville community and the religious and gospel music communities are leading the way to create a new international treasure, the National Museum of Gospel Music.  A 501 (3) nonprofit organization, the National Museum of Gospel Music will celebrate the impact of gospel music, the lives and legacies of the musicians who create it and preserve its heritage for the future.

The Fire

On January 2, 2006, a fire was accidentally started during a roof repair project.

The fire completely gutted the building but left the historic brick and stone walls structurally sound and intact.   Currently, the site quietly remains to await its next step on its journey as the birthplace of gospel music.

The History

Pilgrim Baptist Church is a historical landmark on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, USA.

It is located on South Indiana Avenue in the thriving Bronzeville neighborhood. Pilgrim was designed in 1890 by architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler and originally constructed as a synagogue. In 1922 a Baptist congregation acquired the building forming Pilgrim Baptist Church and creating a safe haven and pillar of hope for African Americans migrating from the south.

In the 1930s Pilgrim became known as the birthplace of gospel music. Thomas Dorsey, (The Father of Gospel Music) served as the music director for decades. Mahalia Jackson, Rev. James Cleveland, Aretha Franklin, Albertina Walker and the Staple Singers among many artists who performed at the church. At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered sermons at the church, building on the church’s legacy, rich culture and tradition of activism during this integral part of American history.

On April 26, 1973, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places (a list of buildings deemed worthy of preservation by the United States Government) and was granted landmark status by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks on December 18, 1981.

The Project

The future of the former site of Pilgrim Baptist Church is bright! Plans are underway to transform the site into the National Museum of Gospel Music. The 45,000 square foot museum is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization and plans to include:

  • Multigenerational programming and educational exhibits
  • Auditorium seating for up to 350 designed for television production
  • Exclusive video archives and collection of the Stellar Gospel Music Awards
  • Listening and research library
  • Café and retail store
  • Rental facilities for special events and community use
contact us

We’d love to hear from you.

(312) 842-4417
info@nationalmuseumofgospelmusic.org

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