Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Project Name
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Location
1017 N LaSalle Blvd
Chicago, Illinois

Project Status
Church open, but redecorated.

Project Date/s
1958

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral is located on the near north side of Chicago.  It was established in 1892 and built on the present site in 1910.  It models the Byzantine Renaissance style of architecture.  In 1927 the church, under the leadership of Fr. Niketas Kesses, bought land on the north side of Chicago to build a Greek school and chapel, which eventually became St Demetrios Church, which still stands.  In 1942, Annunciation was named as a Cathedral of the Second Archdiocesan District.

John Mallin decorated St. Demetrios church in 1946-1948, and the St Demetrios church baptistry in 1958-1959.    In 1958, he was hired to decorate Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral. This information was obtained from a Mallin glass negative which included Fr. Kesses name, the church name, and the date of decoration.  This photo shows Mallin and his workers on scaffolding during the decoration.

In 1977, the entire church was redecorated.  The iconographer Stathis Trahanatzis redecorated the dome and other parts of the church.   In 1983, St Demetrios and Annunciation Cathedral were separated into different communities.  Today no Mallin decorations remain in Annunciation.  Most of the Mallin decorations remain at St. Demetrios however.

References

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral.  The History of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Metropolis of Chicago, 1892-2010.  https://annunciationcathedralchicago.org/about_us/history