
340 Grand Blvd - Elgin IL 60120
Graced by a lovely setting overlooking a wooded park, Bethlehem Lutheran Church stands out as the most prominent feature of its area. Traveling the approaches toward its prominent roof prow over the chancel end wall, one sees how rugged stone walls give it strength and how its ascending roof lines help men's thoughts rise above. The building, contemporary in design, utilizes an honest expression of all materials. Stone is shown as stone, brick as brick, and wood as wood. No attempt is made to conceal or cover up structural elements. In the sanctuary, the laminated arches both create space and transcend man's thoughts upward. The large area of colored glass has a transparent quality that does not confine one to an envelope formed by the walls. Unlimited space is obtained by allowing one's vision to project outside. - Leory W. Bonesz, Architect