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First Congregational Church of Napervile, 2025—Source: Bill Simon
History
History
The First Congregational Church of Naperville is located at 25 E Benton Ave in downtown Naperville. The church was founded on July 13, 1833—just two years after the founding of Naperville. It is the oldest church in DuPage County and the oldest Congregational Church founded in Northern Illinois.
The land for a church building was donated in 1845 by Morris Sleight with the stipulation that there would be a bell tower and no cemetery. In 1846, a frame church was built. It was in that frame church in 1868 that the historic "Ringing of the Bell" aka "Taking of the DuPage County Records" took place.
In 1896 the frame building was renovated, but by 1905 the building was deemed unsafe. Chicago architect Merrit Josiah Morehouse was engaged to design on new more substantial structure. (Morehouse designed “Heatherton” for John S. Goodwin's home and renovated “Oakhurst,” better known as “Wil-O-Way” and now occupied by the Mesón Sabika restaurant.)
In 1905, the cornerstone was laid for the Gothic Rivival sanctuary building and construction began using independent local craftsmen to save monery rather than employing contractors. In May, 1906 the building was dedicated. This building, as may be seen above, has remained largely unchanged except necessary maintenance.
Notable exterior features of this 1906 building include:
Masonry/stone construction using limestone sourced from Joliet quarries
Dentil ornamentation in the stonework
Pointed, arch windows and doors
Stained glass windows from the 1846 building plus new memorial stained glass windows
The original bell from the 1846 frame church.
Other buildings to the east of the 1906 sanctuary building and part of the First Congregational Church are the 1930 Parish Hall designed by Morehouse and the 1979 Community Room.
The Journey
The Journey
After deliberating the pros and cons for almost a year, in April, 2025, the First Congregational Church of Naperville decided to seek local landmark designation for its 1906 sanctuary building at 25 E. Benton Avenue. Naperville Preservation, Inc. agreed to provide some technical assistance.
The municipal code criteria for Landmark Designation requires:
That it is over fifty (50) years old, in whole or in part; and
That one or more of the following conditions exist:
That it was owned or occupied by a person of historic significance in national, State or local history;
That it has a direct connection to an important event in national, State or local history;
That it embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural period, style, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials;
That it represents the notable work of a builder, designer or architect whose individual work has substantially influenced the development of the community; or
That it is included in the National Register of Historic Places.
(Even if a property meets this criteria, the Historic Preservation Commission is not required to recommend designation to City Council.)
The congregation's Landmarking Task Force worked for 6 months to put together the application. Some of this was straightforward due to the diligence the church has had in documenting and retaining historical records. Some of the research required a trip to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois where the only known issues of The Naperville Clarion dating to the time of construction and dedication still exists on microfilm. Some of the research resulted in falling into deep rabbit holes due to the long history of the church and its active congregation. These quests unearthed new insights into the church building, its congregation, and its contributions to the Naperville community and beyond.
On September 30, 2025 the 171 page application was submitted to the City of Naperville by the Task Force. Please read a few articles about the submission:
2025.12.02 Positively Naperville: First Congregational Church of Naperville seeks Historic Landmark Status
2025.11.28 Naperville Sun: First Congregational Church of Naperville seeks city landmark status
2025.11.25 Daily Herald : First Congregational Church of Naperville seeks historic landmark status
On December 4, 2025, the Naperville Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend to City Council that the sanctuary be designated as a landmark. (The video of the meeting is not yet published nor the City Council meeting yet planned. The latter will most likely be in January, 2026).
If approved by City Council the 1906 Sanctuary Building it will become the 6th Naperville Local Landmark.
The Result
The Result
Please stayed tuned - although the Naperville Historic Preservation Commission voted unamiously to recommend to City Council that the sanctuary be designated as a landmark, landmark designation has not yet been presented to City Council. That request will most likely be made in January, 2026.
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