Where Gumbo Was #483
Gumbo was visiting the Bahá’í House of Worship just ,north of Chicago, specifically in Wilmette, Illinois. The structure is close to the shore of Lake Michigan. Congratulations to George G, who recognized where Gumbo was!
Gumbo knew little about the Bahá’í faith, so the visit and research for this blog were informative.
The Wilmette House of Worship is only one of 13 similar houses of Bahá’í worship existing in the world, this one being the North American Center. Two additional Houses of Worship are currently being constructed, and the faith owns many properties for potential future development as the funds for them materializes. Because of the relative paucity of Houses of Worship, the faith is most commonly practiced in people’s homes or public room rentals.
Bahá’í literature directs that a House of Worship should be built in every city and town where believers are found, so there is much potential growth ahead. The faith’s doors are open to all people regardless of their religion or any other distinction. Bahá’í laws emphasize that a House of Worship must be a gathering place where all people may worship God without denominational restrictions. It’s intended that a House of Worship be associated with other benefits to the community, like hostels, services for the elderly, childcare, and so on.
Architecturally, all Bahá’í Houses of Worship are required to have a nine-sided shape (nonagon) with nine outward radiating pathways separated by nine gardens. The existing Houses of Worship have domes, but this is apparently not a requirement. The property around the Wilmette House of Worship was being explored by many people when we visited as the gardens were lovely. We visited in the spring when the daffodils were in bloom.
The Wilmette building itself is constructed of a mixture of Portland cement, crushed quartz, and sand. From the ground it stands approximately 58.2 m tall and the dome’s diameter is 27.4 m. The building’s exterior has inscriptions from the Bahá’í faith and symbols of various religions, including a star, crescent, cross and even the swastika (symbol of Buddhism). They can be a little hard to find, but they’re there.
Anyone can enter the structure, but no interior pictures may be taken, or photos displayed within its auditorium. There are no statues or religious shrines within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars can be incorporated as architectural features (scripture readers may stand behind a simple portable lectern). All Houses of Worship have only a single undivided room under their dome.
There are no clergy in the Baha’i Faith and no sermons or speeches are given in the auditorium, which holds almost 1200 individuals. Excerpts from scripture are pre-selected by the House of Worship staff and read aloud by local community members. No instrumental music is allowed during services in the auditorium, although music may be enjoyed elsewhere.
There is no charge to visit– in fact, only Bahá’ís are permitted to contribute to the Bahá’í funds, including monies for the construction and maintenance of the House of Worship.
The Wilmette Bahá’í House of Worship has received numerous architectural awards. Ground breaking occurred in 1912. Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1951. The temple was dedicated in 1953. The building and was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places and is a popular tourist stop.
A new welcome center for the House of Worship was completed in 2015 which is located on the grounds, and is a good place to learn more about the faith.. Free parking is available on-site. The CTA Purple Line Linden Station is a few blocks away.
(Welcome center for the Wilmette House of Worship)
The House of Worship adjoins the Wilmette Harbor Club, should you happen to be a member there.
