Editing Unity Temple (section)

=== Construction ===
==== Early construction ====
It took weeks to find a [[general contractor]].<ref>{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=|page=138}}; {{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=75}}; {{harvnb|Wright|2005|ps=.|page=159 }}</ref> Most of the bids that church officials did receive were significantly over budget, probably because of the unconventional nature of the concrete design,<ref name="Siry p. 138">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=138 }}</ref> which drove many contractors away.<ref name="Oak Leaves 1964a" /> Contractors found it difficult to decipher Wright's plans, which did not resemble standard blueprints.<ref name="Siry p. 138" /> Paul Mueller, who had previously built Wright's [[E-Z Polish Factory]] and [[Larkin Administration Building]],<ref>{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=|page=138}}; {{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=76 }}</ref> was ultimately selected as the contractor.<ref name="Siry p. 139; Sokol p. 77">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=|page=139}}; {{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=77 }}</ref><ref name="Saint p. 163">{{harvnb|Saint|2003|ps=.|page=163 }}</ref> Wright and Mueller began discussing the temple in January 1906,<ref name="Siry p. 138" /> and Mueller was hired that April, having submitted a low bid of $32,221.<ref name="Siry p. 139; Sokol p. 77" />{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1906|index=US-GDP|value=32221|r=3|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} The trustees agreed to pay Mueller $32,661 as long as Mueller paid a $15,000 [[Bond (finance)|bond]], which would be refunded if the temple was completed on time.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=78 }}</ref> The board also approved a $1,243.23 builder's fee for Wright.<ref name="Sokol p. 79">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=79 }}</ref>{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1906|index=US-GDP|value=1243.23|r=0|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} A [[groundbreaking]] ceremony took place on May 15, 1906.<ref name="Oak Leaves p. 102">{{harvnb|Oak Leaves April 27, 1907|ps=.|page=102 }}</ref><ref name="Siry p. 139">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=139 }}</ref> One of Wright's draftsmen, [[Isabel Roberts]], acted as a liaison to church officials, while Arthur Tobin coordinated the construction schedules.<ref>{{harvnb|Schrenk|2021|ps=.|pages=151, 154 }}</ref>

The first part of the temple to be constructed was Unity House.<ref name="Siry p. 157">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=157 }}</ref> Work on the foundation progressed slowly, and the building committee had to allocate another $645.60 for the foundations due to cost overruns.<ref name="Sokol pp. 81–82" />{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1906|index=US-GDP|value=645.6|r=0|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} Mueller was also busy with other projects across the United States, which further delayed the temple's construction.<ref name="Sokol pp. 81–82">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=81–82 }}</ref> The contractors acquired large amounts of wood to create the [[formwork]], into which the temple's concrete slabs were to be poured.<ref name="Sokol p. 80">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=80 }}</ref> The wooden forms were constructed to uniform dimensions of {{Convert|12|x|3.5|ft}}, allowing them to be reused;<ref name="Sokol p. 80" /><ref>{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|pages=140–141 }}</ref><ref name="Levine p. 40">{{harvnb|Levine|1996|ps=.|page=40 }}</ref> each timber form was made of several [[Lumber#Dimensional lumber|2-by-4]] boards.<ref name="Siry p. 140">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=140 }}</ref><ref name="Ferry p. 98">{{harvnb|Ferry|1907|ps=.|page=98 }}</ref> Rectangular blocks of wood were used to cast the facade's {{convert|12|ft|m|-tall|adj=mid}} concrete columns, which had to be cast in multiple pieces because they were too large.<ref name="Ferry p. 98" /><ref name="Siry p. 152">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=152 }}</ref> The various pieces of each column were bound together using [[grout]].<ref>{{harvnb|Ferry|1907|ps=.|page=99 }}</ref>

Wright contemplated embedding red granite or another material into the outer walls.<ref>{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|pages=143–144 }}</ref><ref name="Sokol p. 83">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=83 }}</ref> Twenty samples of concrete, embedded with red granite or gravel, were presented to the board of trustees for review.<ref>{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=|page=144}}; {{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=84–85 }}</ref> Church officials decided not to use red granite due to the expense involved;<ref name="Sokol p. 83" /> instead, they agreed to apply an acidic solution to roughen the facade.<ref name="Siry p. 145">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=145 }}</ref> The concrete walls were poured at a rate of no more than {{Convert|18|in}} every 24 hours.<ref name="Sokol pp. 81–82" /><ref name="Siry p. 146">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=146 }}</ref> The walls were constructed one by one, and the wooden forms had to be disassembled and rebuilt after each wall was completed, which caused further delays.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=85 }}</ref> In addition, concrete could not be poured during the wintertime.<ref name="Oak Leaves p. 102" /> Foster & Glidden Co. were hired in September 1906 to install the electrical, plumbing, and [[Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning|heating and ventilation]] systems.<ref name="Sokol p. 86">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=86 }}</ref> Although Mueller's contract mandated that the temple be completed by November 1906,<ref name="Siry p. 139" /> the exterior was not nearly finished at that time.<ref name="Siry p. 157" /><ref name="Sokol p. 86" /> This prompted Edwin Ehrman, the building committee's leader, to complain to Mueller.<ref name="Siry p. 157" /><ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=87 }}</ref> Furthermore, Wright frequently modified the plans while construction was underway, then tried to force the trustees to pay for the increased costs, to which they refused.<ref name="Sokol pp. 122–123" /> Mueller, who did not reject Wright's changes, lost money as a result<ref name="Sokol pp. 122–123">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=122–123 }}</ref> and eventually went bankrupt.<ref name="Schrenk p. 154" /><ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=156 }}</ref>

==== Delays and completion ====
[[Image:Unity Temple Interior.jpg|thumb|One of the piers in Unity Temple's auditorium|alt=One of the square piers at the corner of Unity Temple's auditorium. The ceiling has square skylights with wooden boards at their borders. Hanging from the ceiling are chandeliers with globes and cubes.]]

The heating system was installed in February 1907.<ref name="Sokol p. 89">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=89 }}</ref> Amid increasing expenses and decreasing revenue, the congregation's general fund had dwindled to $11.31 by March,{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1907|index=US|value=11.31|r=0|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US}}{{inflation-fn|US|group=lower-alpha}}}} and many former members had departed.<ref name="Sokol p. 89" /> ''Oak Leaves'' wrote that "the finances were in good condition", despite a shortfall in the construction fund.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=95 }}</ref> By then, Wright wrote that Unity House would be finished in May and the auditorium in September.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=92 }}</ref> The eastern wall and parts of the auditorium's stair towers had been completed by May, but the roofs had not been constructed.<ref>{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=142 }}</ref> Church officials had resorted to borrowing money, despite a concerted attempt to obtain donations and other fees from the congregation.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=96–97 }}</ref> Unity House began hosting services on September 15, 1907,<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=99 }}</ref> and the church's Ladies Social Union purchased some furniture the same week.<ref name="Sokol p. 100">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=100 }}</ref> The auditorium's roof had been completed, but the terraces and entrance pavilion were still under construction,<ref>{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|pages=169–170 }}</ref> and landscaping work was still ongoing.<ref name="Sokol p. 103">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=103 }}</ref> Congregants had to enter Unity House through the back door.<ref name="Sokol p. 149">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=149 }}</ref>

Wright and the contractors continued to fine-tune the building's heating system,<ref name="Sokol p. 103" /> and the contractors submitted [[invoice]]s for their work, which the congregation could not afford to pay.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=105–107 }}</ref> The project was paused in late 1907,<ref name="Siry p. 171">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=171 }}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=108 }}</ref> and Ehrman requested that Wright provide a timetable for Unity Temple's completion, which the architect did in January 1908.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=101–102 }}</ref> That February, Wright invited artists and musicians to attend a "Symposium of Art" at Unity House.<ref name="Siry p. 168">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=168 }}</ref> Wright wrote to the congregation the next month, requesting that Mueller be paid $11,000.<ref name="Siry p. 171" />{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1908|index=US-GDP|value=11000|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} Congregants pledged $5,771 for the building's completion at their annual meeting the same month,<ref name="Sokol p. 111">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=111 }}</ref>{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1908|index=US-GDP|value=5771|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} which allowed the trustees to finally reimburse Mueller.<ref name="Sokol p. 111" /><ref name="Siry p. 171" /> The plasterwork was completed in July 1908,<ref name="Siry p. 146" /> after the board of trustees had threatened to fire Mueller over his failure to finish the plastering.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=115 }}</ref> The temple's mechanical contractor [[Foster & Glidden]] were completing the building's electrical systems by August,<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=116 }}</ref> and the pews were under construction by that September.<ref name="Siry p. 171" /><ref name="Sokol pp. 119–120">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=119–120 }}</ref> All of the art glass had also been installed by then.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=120–121 }}</ref>

The auditorium's opening, scheduled for October 11, 1908, was postponed due to delays in manufacturing the pews.<ref name="Sokol pp. 119–120" /> The auditorium hosted its first service on October 25, 1908,<ref name="Schrenk p. 154">{{harvnb|Schrenk|2021|ps=.|page=154 }}</ref><ref name="Chicago Daily Tribune 1908">{{cite news |date=October 26, 1908 |title=Church Built of One Piece: Unity Temple at Oak Park Opens Structure Which is Like No Other Shrine in the World |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|173399990}} }}</ref> though Wright did not attend.<ref name="Cypret 1975b" /><ref name="Siry pp. 192–193" /> The building could not be formally dedicated because the organ had not been installed;<ref name="Chicago Daily Tribune 1908" /> church officials had received bids from a dozen organ manufacturers, many of whom were discouraged by Wright's abstruse drawings.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=124–125 }}</ref> The church did not hire a manufacturer until September 1908, when officials paid [[Coburn & Taylor]] $3,500 to install an organ in two months.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=131 }}</ref>{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1908|index=US-GDP|value=3500|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} The heating system was also ineffective, and the boiler burst shortly after the auditorium opened,<ref name="Sokol pp. 138–139">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=138–139 }}</ref> forcing the congregation to vacate the auditorium until February 1909.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=143–144 }}</ref>

Construction issues notwithstanding, congregants quickly came to like the new temple.<ref name="Siry pp. 192–193">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|pages=192–193 }}</ref> By 1909, the congregation's membership consisted of more than 140 families.<ref name="Sokol p. 149" /><ref name="Siry p. 103">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=103 }}</ref> During that year, church officials largely resolved their remaining disputes with contractors, and the decorations inside were finished.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=153 }}</ref> Johonnot resigned that June, expressing frustration that he had received little encouragement from the congregation during his tenure.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 7, 1909 |title=Rebukes Church; Pastor Resigns |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-rebukes-church-pastor-r/164532483/ |access-date=February 2, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=8 }}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|pages=150–151 }}</ref> Church members refused to accept his resignation,<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 12, 1909 |title=Force Pastor to Think Again |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-force-pastor-to-think-ag/164606912/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=3 }}</ref><ref name="Sokol p. 152">{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=152 }}</ref> as he was still popular among members of the congregation.<ref name="Sokol p. 152" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 8, 1909 |title=Members of Church Differ as to Pastor's Resignation |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-members-of-church-differ/164532255/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=6 }}</ref> Johonnot ultimately agreed to remain Unity Church's pastor for one more year.<ref name="Chicago Tribune 1910">{{Cite news |date=June 27, 1910 |title=Asks Favor for Successor |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-asks-favor-for-successor/164608046/ |access-date=February 3, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=7 }}</ref> The temple was officially dedicated on September 26, 1909,<ref name="McCarter2 p. 10" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 27, 1909 |title=Unity Church Is Dedicated |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-unity-church-is-dedicate/164532299/ |access-date=February 2, 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |pages=14 |postscript=none}}; {{Cite news |date=September 27, 1909 |title=Temperance Theme of Many Sermons |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-inter-ocean-temperance-theme-of-many/164312755/ |access-date=February 2, 2025 |work=The Inter Ocean |pages=4 }}</ref> and the congregation published a brochure for the occasion.<ref>{{harvnb|Sokol|2008|ps=.|page=155 }}</ref> The temple had cost $60,344.55, and the congregation borrowed some $14,500 to pay for the cost overruns.<ref name="Siry p. 193">{{harvnb|Siry|1996|ps=.|page=193 }}</ref>{{Efn-ur|The final cost is equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1909|index=US-GDP|value=60344.55|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}. The congregation borrowed the equivalent of ${{inflation|start_year=1909|index=US-GDP|value=14500|r=-3|fmt=c}}.{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} Members pledged two-thirds, or nearly $32,200, of the remaining cost,{{Efn-ur|Equivalent to ${{inflation|start_year=1909|index=US-GDP|value=32200|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} though it would take several years before the construction cost was fully repaid.<ref name="Siry p. 193" />