On
May 1, 1912, as He began His epic tour of the United
States, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dedicated Mrs. Tobin’s marker
as the Temple cornerstone in a ceremony attended
by nearly 400 Bahá'ís. Over the next several years,
contributions from Bahá'ís around the world led
to the completion of payments on the land and the
generation of a construction fund. In 1920, at least
15 proposed designs for the Temple were reviewed
by delegates at the national Bahá'í convention,
and the innovative design by French-Canadian architect
Louis Bourgeois was selected. Construction began
in March 1921. In November of that year, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
passed away, and leadership of the Bahá'í Faith
fell to Shoghi Effendi.
