A landmark church in East Chicago, Indiana, designed by pioneering Black architect Wendell Campbell, has received a $150,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The funding aims to assist St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in developing a comprehensive plan to repair and restore its distinctive building, which is exhibiting signs of age nearly 53 years after its construction.

St. Mark Church, located at 4200 Alder Street, is noted for its blend of Neo-Expressionist and 1970s futuristic architectural styles. The sanctuary’s most prominent feature is a multifaceted folded plate roof that creates a geodesic effect, supported by a base made of brick, wood, and glass. The interior space beneath this roof is designed to be open, naturally illuminated, and reflective of Campbell’s innovative approach to geometry and materials. The church complex also includes a fellowship hall, classrooms, and offices.

The late Wendell Campbell, a Chicago native and Illinois Institute of Technology alum, designed the church in 1973, marking one of his most significant works from a five-decade career. Campbell was a founding member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), an advocacy group dedicated to increasing diversity within the architecture field.

Brandon Bibby, senior preservation architect at the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, described the grant as an opportunity for the congregation to pause and create a strategic preservation plan. The church has faced roofing challenges, which are common given the structure’s complex design. Bibby emphasized the importance of balancing restoration efforts with respecting Campbell’s original architectural intent.

Kurt Garner, an architect who helped the church gain National Register of Historic Places status in 2023, praised the building's sophisticated symbolism and architectural significance. He noted that Campbell’s roof system was ahead of its time, anticipating design trends that became more common decades later.

The grant for St. Mark is part of the National Trust’s Conserving Black Modernism Initiative, a $4.65 million, five-year program funded through a partnership with the Getty Foundation. The initiative supports preservation projects highlighting the work of Black architects across the United States. Previous recipients include Chicago’s First Church of Deliverance, an Art Moderne landmark in Bronzeville.

Joan Weinstein, director of the Getty Foundation, said the initiative has expanded how modernist architecture is defined while helping communities preserve significant cultural assets.

Campbell’s legacy remains visible in Northwest Indiana and Chicago through various projects ranging from midcentury residences in Chatham to high-rise buildings on North Lake Shore Drive and North Marine Drive, the latter designed with former partner John Macsai. While Campbell’s largest project, Gary’s Genesis Convention Center, was recently approved for demolition, efforts to preserve his other works underscore ongoing appreciation for his contributions to architecture and the Black community.