The architectural structure that is the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States, makes extensive use of white Portland Cement manufactured at Lehigh White Cement Company’s production facility in York, Pennsylvania. The plant is part of Lehigh Hanson, the US subsidiary of HeidelbergCement.

Original construction of the Bahá'í Temple’s  concrete cladding commenced as far back as the 1930s, when John J. Earley – who is credited to be the father of architectural precast concrete – employed both cast-in-place and precast architectural concrete placed into plaster molds to yield the intricate patterns and ornate reliefs that architect Louis Bourgeois envisioned for this one-of-a-kind project. Earley chose white cement from the York plant for its working consistency and bright white colour. The concrete complemented the white quartz stone used to give the exposed aggregate exterior its sparkling clean appearance.

Fortunately, the same dedication to quality is alive and well today at Lehigh’s York white cement plant, making it the natural choice for the Temple’s concrete repair and restoration project.

The Temple dome stands 50 meters (167 ft.) tall above ornate gardens on the western shore of Lake Michigan, roughly 20 km (12.5 miles) north of Chicago.

Further information

Project Data

  • Bahá'í

    Owner

  • Louis Bourgeois, John Joseph Earley, Washington, DC

    Architect

  • Earley Studio, Rosslyn, Virginia

    Contractor

  • 1930

    Completion

Bahá'í Temple, USA. The architectural structure that is the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States, makes extensive use of white Portland Cement manufactured at Lehigh White Cement Company’s production facility in York, Pennsylvania.

Bahá'í Temple, USA. The architectural structure that is the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States, makes extensive use of white Portland Cement manufactured at Lehigh White Cement Company’s production facility in York, Pennsylvania.

Bahá'í Temple, USA. The architectural structure that is the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States, makes extensive use of white Portland Cement manufactured at Lehigh White Cement Company’s production facility in York, Pennsylvania.

Bahá'í Temple, USA. The architectural structure that is the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States, makes extensive use of white Portland Cement manufactured at Lehigh White Cement Company’s production facility in York, Pennsylvania.

Bahá'í Temple, USA. The architectural structure that is the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States, makes extensive use of white Portland Cement manufactured at Lehigh White Cement Company’s production facility in York, Pennsylvania.

Bahá'í Temple, USA. The architectural structure that is the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States, makes extensive use of white Portland Cement manufactured at Lehigh White Cement Company’s production facility in York, Pennsylvania.