Unity Temple

In the Fall of 1905, Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned to design a new house of worship for what is now the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation after their previous church home burned down after being struck by lightning. Unity Temple was built between 1906-1908 and dedicated in 1909. Frank Lloyd Wright described Unity Temple as “my contribution to modern architecture.” The building is one of the first monumental edifices created entirely in concrete; Wright’s radical departure from traditional materials and visionary experimentation established Unity Temple’s reputation as among the most innovative structures of the 20th century. Unity Temple is more than a place for worship: it is a museum that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world; it is a venue for cultural and educational programming; it is a source of inspiration for artists, architects, and students; and it is an icon of modern architecture.

In 1973, the Unity Temple Foundation was founded as a secular, 501(c)(3) organization, to raise funds to restore and preserve Unity Temple, while providing artistic and educational programming for the community and tourists from around the world. In 1970, Unity Temple was designated a National Historic Landmark, and in July of 2019 Unity Temple, along with seven other Wright sites, joined one of only 24 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the United States. Unity Temple is open to the public Monday – Saturday, and serves as a house of worship for the congregation on Sundays.