Bronzeville in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Roberts Temple

Church of God in Christ "40th & State"

— Bishop William Roberts Founder —

Roberts Temple Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

1. Roberts Temple Marker

Inscription. Built 1923
Remodeled 1943

Remodeled 1992 by Elder Zedie Hill
"For they perceived that this work was of God."
Nehemiah 6:16

Pastors
Bishop Wm. Roberts 1916-1954
Elder E.J. Duncan 1954-1955
Bishop I.L. Roberts 1955-1989
Elder C. Wardlow Jr. 1989

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.

Location. 41° 49.278′ N, 87° 37.574′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Bronzeville. It is on South State Street south of East 40th Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4021 South State Street, Chicago IL 60609, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s South Side and in Chicago’s Bronzeville.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian

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Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ Building (a few steps from this marker); Andrew "Rube" Foster (approx. 0.3 miles away); Wendell Phillips High School (approx. 0.4 miles away); Richard Wright (approx. 0.4 miles away); Casmere Lazzeroni (approx. 0.4 miles away); Adrinka Symbols (approx. 0.4 miles away); Eugene Temple (approx. half a mile away); Chicago Bee Building (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. A Chicago Landmark marker for this church is affixed to the right side of the building.

Regarding Roberts Temple. Roberts Temple is most famous as the site of the funeral of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally beaten and killed by two white men after being accused of flirting with a white woman. In early September 1955, more than 50,000 people filed through the church to mourn Till and view his body, which was famously left in an open casket by his mother, Mamie Till, who said, "Let the people see what I have seen."

The

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

2. Roberts Temple Marker

The marker is on the left side of this photo. To the right of the door on the right are two plaques, one an original dedication for the building and the other a Chicago Landmark marker.

church is one of three sites — the other two are in Mississippi — that were included in the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which was established on July 25, 2023, what would have been Emmett Till's 82nd birthday. The other two spots are the place on the Tallahatchie River where Till's body is believed to have been recovered, and the other is the courthouse in Sumner, Miss., where the trial of those accused of killing him was held in 1955.

Also see . . . History of Roberts Temple.

Excerpt: "In 1915, Elder William Roberts came to Chicago to investigate the city where many said it was impossible for a Church of God to be planted. Roberts had the courage to do just that. Mother Lillian Brooks Coffee was also instrumental in convincing Bishop C.H. Mason, Founder of the Church of God In Christ, to send Elder Roberts, then Assistant Pastor of Bishop Mason’s church in Memphis, to pastor a congregation of 13 people in Chicago. Roberts soon brought his family to Chicago to join him in 1917."

(Submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Roberts Temple sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

3. Roberts Temple sign

This replica of the one affixed to the building in 1955 was erected in 2026, part of a renovation that restored the church's facade to its appearance at the time of the Emmett Till funeral.

Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 28, 2026

4. Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ

The church is included in the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which also includes two sites in Mississippi that were related to his killing in 1955.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 28, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.