The Commission on Chicago Landmarks today approved preliminary Landmark status for Third Unitarian Church.

Located on a quiet residential street in the Austin community, the church is a simple but visually distinctive example of modern architecture in the 1930's.

Built in 1936, at 301 N. Mayfield Ave., the church's design and construction is reflective of its time and the financial limits that gripped much of the national which was in the midst of the Great Depression.

The congregation needed an affordable house of worship. Architect Paul Schweikher embraced the challenge and designed a church respectful of its purpose, large enough to accommodate its 200 members, but simple enough so that its members could assist with the actual construction.

"Houses of worship traditionally play an important role in anchoring communities and defining the visual character of a neighborhood," said David Mosena, Chairman of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. "Third Unitarian Church goes beyond that, it also speaks to the determination of a congregation to overcome the hardships brought about by the Great Depression to build a lasting monument to their faith."

The original structure consists of a rectangular auditorium with an attached two-story office. The form of the building is modern but the auditorium reflects a traditional church plan arranged along a single axis.

The building was constructed of common brick. The cost-conscious design elevates the utilitarian wall material to an aesthetic feature eliminating the need for ornamental masonry.

Innovative window designs are a feature of Schweikher's architecture that are much in evidence at Third Unitarian. The front corners of the building feature four "brick grill" windows consisting of a grid of small fixed glass panes set in masonry and divided into a rectangular pattern defined by the brick exterior wall.

The interior is equally simple with brick and wood panel walls. The wooden balcony at the rear of the auditorium reflects Schweikher's interest in traditional Japanese architecture.

In 1956 an addition was constructed to meet the needs of the growing congregation. The addition was designed by William Fyfe, who worked with Schweikher on the original design and who apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright. The addition transformed the auditorium interior from a narrow rectangle space into a more square shaped one.

The exterior facade consists of slab piers of common brick offset in a saw tooth pattern. The spaces between the piers are glazed with vertical bands of windows that flood the auditorium with natural light.

The relocated main entrance is set beneath a low canopy with a distinct angled wood fascia which demonstrates Wright's influence on Fyfe.

The offset piers on the exterior are expressed on the interior, with the vertical bands of windows opening the interior space to the outside.

A series of 19 glazed tile mural depicting historic and religious figures are featured in the church. The murals were painted by prominent Chicago artist Andrene Kauffman, who in the 1930's created murals in schools and other public buildings throughout the Midwest under the Illinois Art Project of the Federal Works Project Administration (WPA).