Beverly Unitarian Church


Beverly Unitarian Church is a Unitarian Universalist 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."
It has been claimed to be haunted.

Ministers

People's Church prior to merger