Editing Unity Temple (section)

=== Early and mid-20th century ===
[[File:Unity Temple - Oak Park IL 3 (3224125951).jpg|thumb|View of the auditorium's pulpit from the north]]

After Unity Temple opened, the building's architecture attracted visitors from across the U.S.<ref name="Siry pp. 192–193" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 9, 1915 |title=Getting Ready for New C. C. Church |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-zion-city-independent-getting-ready/164611800/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=The Zion City Independent |pages=1 }}</ref> Johonnot ultimately resigned at the end of June 1910.<ref name="Sokol p. 152" /><ref name="Chicago Tribune 1910" /> The next pastor, S. G. Dunham, established a weekly "social clinics class" at the temple in late 1910;<ref name="Chicago Tribune 1910a">{{Cite news |date=November 27, 1910 |title=Hold 'Social Clinics' Class |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-hold-social-clinics-cl/164611630/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=8 }}</ref> he served as the pastor until early 1913.<ref name="Chicago Tribune 1913">{{Cite news |date=March 16, 1913 |title=Armour Buys Eastern Site; Plans New Packing Plant? |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-armour-buys-eastern-site/164610988/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=5 }}</ref> William J. Taylor became Unity Temple's pastor in November 1913<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 17, 1913 |title=New Pastor Is Installed |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-inter-ocean-new-pastor-is-installed/164558836/ |access-date=February 2, 2025 |work=The Inter Ocean |pages=3 }}</ref> and began giving sermons there the next month.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 15, 1913 |title=New Pastor Takes Unity Church Pulpit |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-inter-ocean-new-pastor-takes-unity-c/164558921/ |access-date=February 2, 2025 |work=The Inter Ocean |pages=9 }}</ref> During Taylor's tenure, the congregation paid back its remaining debt of $6,000, and a congregant, E. O. Gale, donated a [[parsonage]].<ref name="Wausau Pilot 1919" /> Taylor resigned in 1919 to become the pastor of [[First Universalist Church (Wausau, Wisconsin)|First Universalist Church]] in [[Wausau, Wisconsin]],<ref name="Wausau Pilot 1919">{{Cite news |date=January 14, 1919 |title=Rev. William J. Taylor |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/wausau-pilot-rev-william-j-taylor/164612418/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Wausau Pilot |pages=1 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 30, 1918 |title=Restrictions on Egg Coal Are Now Removed |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-journal-restrictions-on-egg-coal-are/164613706/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Sun-Journal |pages=8 }}</ref> and he was succeeded by James W. Vallentyne.<ref name="Portland Press Herald 1924" /> The congregation celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding with a weeklong party in early 1921.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 26, 1921 |title=Unity Church Is Fifty |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20church%22&i=f&d=01011920-12311921&m=between&ord=k1&fn=oak_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19210226_english_42&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=38 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> Vallentyne resigned as Unity Church's pastor in 1924,<ref name="Portland Press Herald 1924">{{Cite news |date=December 30, 1924 |title=Dr. James W. Vallentyne Will Come to Portland After Fine Record in West |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/portland-press-herald-dr-james-w-valle/164616792/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Portland Press Herald |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/portland-press-herald-vallentyne/164616814/ 2] }}</ref> though he remained in Oak Park for several months.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 2, 1925 |title=Rev. James Vallentyne Assumes Duties Here |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/portland-press-herald-rev-james-vallent/164617011/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Portland Press Herald |pages=19 }}</ref> D. T. Denman, who had served various congregations in Oak Park for two decades,<ref name="Chicago Daily Tribune 1932" /> merged his congregation with that of Unity Church in 1925, becoming the combined congregation's pastor.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1946b">{{cite web |date=September 5, 1946 |title=Unity Church Resumes Services on Sunday |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20universalist%22&i=f&by=1946&bdd=1940&d=01011946-12311946&m=between&ord=k1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19460905_english_46&df=21&dt=27 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=46 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref>

Denman served until 1932<ref name="Chicago Daily Tribune 1932">{{cite news |date=April 24, 1932 |title=Call of Farm Penetrates to Oak Park Pulpit: Dr. Denman to Retire After 45 Years. |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-call-of-farm-penetrates/164619012/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |page=F6 |id={{ProQuest|181316732}} }}</ref> and was replaced that year with Frank D. Adams.<ref name="Chicago Tribune 1932">{{Cite news |date=November 22, 1932 |title=Dr. F. D. Adams Accepts Call to Oak Pk. Church |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-dr-f-d-adams-accepts/164623449/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=6 |postscript=none |agency=Associated Press}}; {{Cite news |date=December 10, 1932 |title=Parish Banquets Departing Pastor |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-parish-banquets-depar/164623589/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Detroit Free Press |pages=3 }}</ref> In 1935, the congregation of the Church of the Redeemer in Chicago also merged with Unity Church's congregation.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1946b" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 23, 1936 |title=Dr. Lewis Fisher Dies; Pastor and Ex-College Head |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-dr-lewis-fisher-dies-p/164623730/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=14 }}</ref> The congregation had 200 members by the mid-1940s, who met every Sunday from September to June; by then, the church was called the '''Unity Universalist Church'''.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 9, 1944 |title=Unity Universalist Church |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20universalist%22&i=f&d=01011940-12311949&m=between&ord=k1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19440309_english_57&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=57 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> John Q. Parkhurst was elected as the church's pastor in early 1945,<ref name="Oak Leaves 1945a">{{cite web |date=March 1, 1945 |title=Unity |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20church%22&i=f&d=01011940-12311946&e=parkhurst&m=between&ord=k1,e1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19450301_english_47&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=47 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> just after Adams resigned.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1945b">{{cite web |date=March 8, 1945 |title=Unity Church |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20church%22&i=f&d=01011940-12311945&e=adams&m=between&ord=k1,e1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19450308_english_77&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=77 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> The next year, Unity House was lent to a local youth club, and its interior was redecorated to resemble a ship's lounge;<ref>{{cite news |date=June 23, 1946 |title=Youths to Open Suburb Center With Ship Motif |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |page=W12 |id={{ProQuest|177208330}} }}</ref> the club operated there for three months.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 8, 1946 |title=Suburban Group on Search for Anchor Inn Site |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-suburban-group-on-search/164626175/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=14 }}</ref> At the time, the congregation's membership included many of Oak Park's longtime families, in addition to congregants from neighboring towns and villages.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1946b" /> ''Oak Leaves'' reported that the building was depicted in a wide range of architectural publications and that it attracted visitors from around the world,<ref>{{cite web |date=September 9, 1948 |title=Unity Universalist Church Opens for 78th Year |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20universalist%22&i=f&d=01011940-12311949&m=between&ord=k1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19480909_english_30&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=30 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> though local residents largely ignored it.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1969c">{{cite web |date=June 25, 1969 |title=Unity Temple a masterpiece in concrete |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?i=f&d=01011967-12311969&e=unity%20temple&m=between&ord=e1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19690625_english_12&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=12 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref>

Parkhurst left the congregation in 1952, and Robert M. Rice became the church's new minister.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1952a">{{cite web |date=January 10, 1952 |title=Rev. Parkhurst Accepts Call to Church in Joliet |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20universalist%22&i=f&d=01011950-12311959&e=parkhurst&m=between&ord=k1,e1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19520110_english_9&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=9 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> By then, the congregation had 325 members who met every Sunday except in August, and the church's youth fellowship met every other Sunday.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 21, 1951 |title=Unity Universalist |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=%22unity%20universalist%22&i=f&d=01011950-12311959&m=between&ord=k1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19510621_english_82&df=1&dt=10 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=82 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> The church was known simply as the '''Universalist Church''' by the late 1950s.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1957a">{{cite web |date=June 27, 1957 |title=Universalist Church |url=https://riverforest.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?i=f&d=01011955-12311959&e=unity%20universalist&m=between&ord=e1&fn=forest_leaves_usa_illinois_oak_park_19570627_english_42&df=1&dt=5 |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Oak Leaves |page=42 |via=River Forest Public Library }}</ref> The temple also hosted visiting architects, including Wright himself, as well as several groups of students each year.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1957b" /> Rice left the building largely intact during his tenure, converting Unity House's two balconies to classrooms and adding a chapel for children.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1957c" /> In addition, in 1959, workers filled in cracks and covered up exposed rods, and they applied a stucco-like paste to the exterior.<ref name="Cypret 1975a">{{Cite news |last=Cypret |first=Randy |date=August 3, 1975 |title=Unity Temple restoration incomplete |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-journal-unity-temple-restoration-in/164649380/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=News Journal |pages=6 }}</ref>