Editing Unity Temple (section)

==== 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>