Beverly Unitarian Church is a Unitarian Universalist ("UU") church in Chicago, Illinois. The church formed in 1951 by the merger of two congregations: the Beverly Unitarian Fellowship, which had begun in 1941, and the People's Liberal Church founded in 1878. People's Liberal Church was known by a variety of names over the years: In 1878 it was called the Unitarian Universalist Christian Union Society of Englewood, or simply the Christian Union Society; in 1880 on moving to a new building, it was named First Universalist Church of Englewood; in 1889 it moved to a larger building and was called Stewart Avenue Universalist Church. The Givins Irish Castle The current church building, called the "Irish Castle" was built from 1886 to 1887 under the direction of Robert C. Givins, a successful real estate developer. It is a three story structure with three crenelated towers. Givins lived in the castle from 1887-1894, then from 1895-1897 the castle housed the Chicago Female College. Beverly Unitarian Church purchased the building for $14,000 and has used it since 1942. It is the only building in the city described as a "castle." The Givins Castle in 1890, 50 years before the church owned the building. It has been claimed to be haunted. https://en.wikipedia.org/ The inspiration behind the building, and its first occupant, was Robert Cartwright Givins, a Renaissance man of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Givins was a well-known real estate developer active across the Chicago area, a popular novelist of his day, a vocal citizens’ advocate, and a globetrotter whose travel reviews were published in the Chicago Evening Post. He was at one time announced in local papers as a candidate for mayor of Chicago. In addition to Givins, Julia Thayer of the Chicago Female College, the Burdett family, the Siemens family, and Beverly Unitarian Church have been “keepers” of the Castle. Thayer was a poet and president of the Chicago Female College, a finishing school for girls, that was housed in the Castle for a time, J. B. Burdett, was an inventor and an early automobilist. With his wife, Jessie, Burdett won one of the earliest automobile races in Chicago, the 40-mile journey to Joliet held in 1901. Miroslaw Siemens, a prominent Chicago physician of Ukrainian descent, was a founder of the Ukrainian National Museum in Chicago and a benefactor of St. Nicholas Catholic Cathedral when it first opened as a church. He was the leader of the group that sponsored the Ukrainian National Pavilion at Chicago’s Century of Progress World’s Fair held in 1933-34. Beverly Unitarian Church, the last Castle-keeper, has a long history beginning in the Englewood neighborhood supporting equal rights, justice for all, seeking truth, and helping the less fortunate. After the presentation, Magidson will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase. The proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to The Castle Building Fund to help rescue, preserve, and maintain the landmark building. https://www.newberry.org/

Free Free It is used as a church