Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church at Open House Chicago

This church is widely regarded as one of the early incubators of American gospel music. It was originally constructed as the Isaiah Temple synagogue when the Bronzeville neighborhood was predominantly German-Jewish. In 1921, the synagogue was purchased by Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church to serve the area's growing African-American community. The Georgian Revival design includes a barrel-vaulted auditorium with a horseshoe-shaped balcony and brightly colored stained glass windows. Ebenezer nurtured the careers of noted gospel singers such as Mahalia Jackson, Dinah Washington, Sallie Martin and composer Thomas A. Dorsey, who combined traditional hymnals with emerging popular music sensibilities to pioneer the spiritually uplifting Gospel sound. Visitors may enjoy a guided or self guided tour of the main sanctuary and all accessory rooms. This involves stairs to the balcony in the sanctuary or to the second floor in the attached building.