The Dawning Place

Book excerpt: The Dawning Place, is based upon decades of research and is the definitive text on the Bahai House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois the only of its kind in North America. Added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1978, the House of Worship is a stunning building with an inspiring and storied history. In 1903, a small group of Chicago Bahai's made a decision to build a place of worship that would be open to people of all faiths. The search for a location; the choice of a forested bluff overlooking Lake Michigan; the 1912 dedication of the temple site by Abdul-Baha, the son and appointed successor of the Faiths Prophet-Founder; the selection of a design in 1920 that attracted international attention; and the decades of planning and building that led to the 1953 dedication only tell part of the story. Bruce Whitmore brings the story of this stunning building to life in rich detail, and weaves together a moving story of devotion and dedication. There are numerous archival photographs throughout, and multiple new photographs in this new edition, as well as a new foreword specially written for this edition by Glenford Mitchell. The design is that of a high-end photographic history book with an elegant dust jacket.