The current church building, completed in 1888 and consecrated in 1889, was designed by Willoughby Edbrooke and Franklin Burnham architects, Chicago IL, whose major commissions include the Georgia State Capital, the Milwaukee Federal Building, and several buildings on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. It is Richardsonian Romanesque with Gothic features and is constructed of Carbondale brownstone. It was built by J.F. Rees construction, also of Chicago.
The stained glass windows are of particular note. All of them were commissioned through the Chicago Art Glass Company. The window behind the organ was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The artists responsible for the others are unknown, but it is clear that the work of several different studios is represented.
The undercroft (the area under the church) is home to our Sunday school classrooms, a small group meeting room, The Undercroft Gallery, and the offices for ElderCare@Christ Church.
The parish house, to the west of the church, was built in 1903. Ira Wosfold of Waukegan was the architect. It is built of red and brown waterproof brick, sometimes known as ‘butter brick,’ with brownstone trim. The building consists of three stories. The top floor includes a performance stage with a small balcony and was the site of many parish and community theatrical productions. Although no longer in use, the third floor also accommodated dances, lessons, and countless athletic events to meet the needs of the Waukegan community. There is interest in restoring the third floor so that it can once again serve the people of Waukegan. The second floor contains the parish library, staff offices, the office of the Lake County Arts Magazine, Waukegan to College, and the Waukegan office for Lake County United. It also provides a connecting hallway to the church and chapel. The first floor is the site of our fully renovated fellowship hall and kitchen. In addition to being the site for various parish events, the hall is available for rental for private functions, and has been the site of the Sunday afternoon Community Meal for over twenty years.
To the north of the church, is the Chapel of Our Lady. Although the chapel was part of the original plan for the church, its interior was not completed until 1914, when the Barwell family undertook its renovation to honor the memory of Hattie Porter Barwell. Harry Mace of Evanston was the architect and Tobias Jensen completed the construction. The chapel is considered to be one of the best examples of perpendicular Gothic style in the Chicago area.
The windows in the chapel are from the studios of Heaton, Butler, Baynes and Company, England. The triptych window depicting the resurrection, which is located behind the chapel altar, is an excellent example of their work. The reredos and the altar were carved by John Lang, son of the famed wood carver from Oberammergau, Germany. The Chapel entrance is off North Martin Luther King Jr Ave (formerly Utica Street).
