Crews have completed exterior restoration work at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, a key site within the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. The milestone includes the lighting of a newly fabricated replica of the church’s historic neon sign, along with a restored facade that brings the building closer to its 1955 appearance.
Roberts Temple, at 4021 S. State St., is internationally known as the location of the open-casket funeral and extended visitation for 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955. Mamie Till-Mobley’s decision to hold that service in public view drew national attention to the violence inflicted on her son and became a catalyst for the modern Civil Rights Movement.
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, partnered with Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ and the Preserve Robert’s Temple Initiative on the work. The exterior scope reversed earlier alterations and restored character-defining features, including restoration of the masonry, windows, painted brick, crosses, and other elements. Since 2017, the Action Fund, supported by the Mellon Foundation and The Lilly Endowment Inc., has invested nearly $1.75 million in grant funding connected to Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley sites, including stabilization and restoration at Roberts Temple.
For mason contractors tracking preservation work, the Roberts Temple project shows a clear sequencing model: restore the exterior envelope and key masonry features first, then move inside for stabilization and interior restoration. It also highlights how facade masonry work connects to adjacent scopes like window restoration, specialty fabrication, and the installation of prominent architectural signage.
Next, project partners plan interior restoration focused on priority stabilization and restoration of the sanctuary. The goal is to preserve interior spaces most closely associated with Till’s visitation and funeral while preparing the building for educational programming, community use, and visitor engagement.
Read the full, original article from National Trust for Historic Preservation here.