January 16. On this date in 1931, the dome of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, which was nearing completion, caught fire.

January 16. On this date in 1931, the dome of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, which was nearing completion, caught fire.  Wilmette and Evanston firefighters worked to save the structure, and damage was estimated at $50,000. 

 'Abdu'l-Bahá arrived in Wilmette in 1912 for the ground-breaking ceremony during which he laid the cornerstone.  The actual construction of the building did not begin until 1921, after Bahá'ís agreed to use a design by Louis Bourgeois.  By 1922, the first part of the building, the Foundation Hall, was mostly finished, and Bahá'ís began using it as a meeting place.  On January 16, 1931, as the structure was nearing completion, the dome caught fire.  The temple was finally dedicated on May 2, 1953.