The Bahá'í House of Worship in Chicago's northern suburbs is known as the "Mother Temple of the West", since it was the first House of Worship constructed in the Western Hemisphere.
Groundbreaking for the House occurred on May 1, 1912, in a ceremony blessed with the presence and participation of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. However, construction did not begin in earnest until 1920. It was formally dedicated on May 1, 1953.