St. Hedwig Church in Chicago [Polish parishes and churches in Chicago]

The dynamic growth of the Polish diaspora created the need to build a new church near the oldest Polish temple in Chicago. The cornerstone for the church was consecrated by Archbishop Feehan on June 18, 1899, and on October 27, 1901 bishop Peter James Muldoon dedicated the new church.
The three-nave temple was built on a cross plan. Its designer, Adolphus Druiding, an immigrant
from Hanover, planned a façade with a protruding portico enclosed with towers, which were not erected until 1925 and constructed one story lower than planned. They house three bells, cast in Baltimore, which have been preserved to this day; they are named after Our Lady (Regina Poloniae), St. Joseph and St. Hedwig. The church façade is very picturesque because of the contrast between the stone details (made from Bedford limestone) and the yellowish brown brickwork.