May 1. On this date in 1912, after giving a pre-dedication talk in a tent on the temple grounds, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dedicated the cornerstone of the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette, Illinois.

May 1. On this date in 1912, after giving a pre-dedication talk in a tent on the temple grounds, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dedicated the cornerstone of the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette, Illinois. 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. Wilmette and Evanston firefighters worked to save the structure, and damage was estimated at $50,000.
 

The temple was eventually dedicated on May 2, 1953.