Sesquicentennial Houses of Worship Award

Illinois State Historical Society | Strawbridge-Shepherd House | PO Box 1800 | Springfield, IL 62705-1800

Since 2010, the Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS) has recognized Illinois houses of worship that have served their congregations continuously for 150 years or more.

The ISHS Sesquicentennial House of Worship Awards Committee invites potential sesquicentennial houses of worship to complete an application and return it, along with appropriate documentation and a non-refundable payment of $50 (administrative fee), to the ISHS. The administrative fee supports the work of the ISHS, a private not-for-profit organization that receives no tax dollars from state government bodies.

Each recognized house of worship will receive a certificate from the Illinois State Historical Society recognizing its sesquicentennial anniversary and have its history recorded at the Society as well as at the Illinois State Library for the use of future researchers. Recognized houses of worship will be honored at a special luncheon.

We look forward to recognizing your house of worship as part of our state’s history.

Deadline for application submission is June 30, 2026. Recognized houses of worship will be honored at a special luncheon in Springfield in the fall of 2026.

Please share this with any congregations you think might be eligible! If you have questions, please call us at 217-525-2781 or contact us at Kim.Jones@historyillinois.org

Sesquicentennial House of Worship Award

Pay your Sesquicentennial House of Worship Award fee online.

$50.00 Payment

Previous Recipients

Sesquicentennial Houses of Worship Award

Illinois State Historical Society | Strawbridge-Shepherd House | PO Box 1800 | Springfield, IL 62705-1800

1st Methodist Episcopal Church of Chicago	Chicago	Cook	1831
Ashmore United Presbyterian Church	Ashmore	Coles	1841
Atkinson Congregational Church	Atkinson	Henry	1863
Augustana Lutheran Church	Andover	Henry	1850
Bankston Fork Missionary Baptist Church	Harrisburg	Saline	1854
Barney’s Prairie Christian Church	Noble	Richland	1819
Barney’s Prairie Christian Church	Mount Carmel	Wabash	1816
Barrington United Methodist Church	Barrington	Cook	1840
Berea Christian Church	Ashland	Cass	1852
Berean Baptist Church	Bunker Hill	Macoupin	1841
Berlin Christian Church	New Berlin	Sangamon	1824
Bethel Church	Griggsville	Pike	1822
Bethlehem United Church of Christ of Sutter	Warsaw	Hancock	1857
Boyd’s Grove United Methodist Church	Henry	Marshall	1851
Bridgeport First United Methodist Church	Brideport	Lawrence	1861
Bushnell United Methodist Church	Bushnell	McDonough	1856
Camden United Methodist Church	Camden	Schuyler	1855
Camp Ground Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Covenant Presbytery)	Anna	Union	1850
Capron Lutheran Church	Capron	Adams	1844
Carlock Christian Church	Carlock	McLean	1836
Catholic Church of St. Mark’s	Winchester	Scott	1860
Centenary United Methodist Church	Effingham	Effingham	1835
Centenary United Methodist Church	Jacksonville	Morgan	1821
Central Baptist Church of Springfield	Springfield	Sangamon	1830
Central Christian Church of Decatur	Decatur	Macon	1834
Clarksville Baptist Church	Marshall	Clark	1857
Community of Christ Brush Creek	Xenia	Wayne	1842
Community United Church of Christ	Morton	Tazewell	1832
Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church	Geneseo	Adams	1864
Concordia United Church of Christ	Belleville	Adams	1845
Congregation Anshai Emeth	Peoria	Peoria	1859
Congregation B’nai Sholom	Quincy	Adams	1864
Congregation Beth Hamdrosh Hagodol Kesser Maravi Ansh Linkink	Skokie	Cook	1867
Congregation of Central Presbyterian Church	New Lenox	Will	1844
Congregational Church of Jefferson Park	Chicago	Cook	1861
Court Street United Methodist Church	Rockford	Winnebago	1852
Dutch Ridge Missionary Baptist Church	Carbondale	Jackson	1848
Earlville United Methodist Church	Earlville	LaSalle	1842
Ebenezer United Methodist Church	Samsville	Edwards	1849
Eden Church of Edwardsville	Wood River	Madison	1868
Edgington Presbyterian Church	Taylor Ridge	Rock Island	1837
Elvaston Presbyterian Church	Elvaston	Hancock	1858
English Congregational United Church of Christ	Big Rock	Kane	1859
Eureka Christian Church	Eureka	Woodford	1832
Fairview Reformed Church	Fairview	Fulton	1837
Faith Lutheran Church	Forreston	Ogle	1859
Farmingdale Presbyterian Church	Pleasant Plains	Sangamon	1834
Federated Church of Wauconda	Wauconda	Lake	1838
First Baptist Church	Fairview Heights	St Clair	1850
First Baptist Church	Winchester	Scott	1825
First Baptist Church of Bloomington	Bloomington	McLean	1837
First Baptist Church of Edwardsville	Edwardsville	Madison	1828
First Baptist Church of Jonesboro	Jonesboro	Union	1818
First Baptist Church of Peoria	Peoria	Peoria	1836
First Christian Church	Albion	Edwards	1840
First Christian Church	Bloomington	McLean	1837
First Christian Church	Centralia	Marion	1856
First Christian Church	Lawrenceville	Lawrence	1833
First Christian Church	Mount Carmel	Wabash	1862
First Christian Church	Peoria	Peoria	1845
First Christian Church	Shelbyville	Shelby	1836
First Congregational Church	Crystal Lake	McHenry	1842
First Congregational Church	Elgin	Cook	1836
First Congregational Church	Huntley	McHenry	1852
First Congregational Church	Moline	Rock Island	1844
First Congregational Church	Peru	LaSalle	1837
First Congregational Church	Rockton	Winnebago	1838
First Congregational Church of Bunker Hill	Bunker Hill	Macoupin	1842
First Congregational Church of Kewanee	Kewanee	Henry	1838
First Congregational Church of Neponset	Neponset	Bureau	1855
First Congregational Church of Toulon	Toulon	Stark	1846
First Congregational United Church of Christ	Dwight	Livingston	1866
First Congregational United Church of Christ	Naperville	DuPage	1833
First Congregational United Church of Christ	Sterling	Whiteside	1857
First Evangelical Presbyterian Church	Anna	Union	1866
First Federated Church of Peoria	Peoria	Peoria	1834
First Lutheran Church	Geneseo	Henry	1856
First Lutheran Church (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, ELCA)	DeKalb	DeKalb	1858
First Methodist Episcopal Church of Chicago	Chicago	Cook	1831
First Presbyterian Church	Charleston	Coles	1835
First Presbyterian Church	Decatur	Macon	1852
First Presbyterian Church	Dixon	Lee	1853
First Presbyterian Church	Galena	Jo Daviess	1831
First Presbyterian Church	Jacksonville	Morgan	1827
First Presbyterian Church	Lincoln	Logan	1857
First Presbyterian Church	Macomb	McDonough	1832
First Presbyterian Church	Omaha	Gallatin	1826
First Presbyterian Church	Piper City	Ford	1862
First Presbyterian Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1828
First Presbyterian Church	Marengo	McHenry	1850
First Presbyterian Church	Harvard	McHenry	1868
First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale	Carbondale	Jackson	1854
First Presbyterian Church of Chicago	Chicago	Cook	1833
First Presbyterian Church of DuPage	Bolingbrook	Will	1833
First Presbyterian Church of Evanston	Evanston	Cook	1868
First Presbyterian Church of Green Valley	Green Valley	Tazewell	1832
First Presbyterian Church of Homewood	Homewood	Cook	1858
First Presbyterian Church of Lewistown	Canton	Fulton	1836
First Presbyterian Church of Marengo	Marengo	McHenry	1850

First United Methodist Church	Morris	Grundy	1842
First United Methodist Church	Wilmington	Will	1840
First United Methodist Church	Chester	Randolph	1835
First United Methodist Church	Morrisonville	Christian	1857
First United Methodist Church	Palatine	Cook	1835
First United Methodist Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1821
First United Methodist Church	Sterling	Whiteside	1838
First United Methodist Church	Taylorville	Christian	1854
First United Methodist Church of Champaign	Champaign	Champaign	1853
First United Methodist Church of Elgin	Elgin	Cook	1836
First United Methodist Church of Evanston	Evanston	Cook	1854
First United Methodist Church of Mt. Vernon	Mt. Vernon	Jefferson	1818
First United Methodist Church of Normal	Normal	McLean	1865
First United Methodist Church of Urbana	Urbana	Champaign	1835
First United Presbyterian Church	Centralia	Marion	1856
First United Presbyterian Church	Polo	Ogle	1848
First United Presbyterian Church	Virden	Macoupin	1854
First United Presbyterian Church of Collinsville	Collinsville	Madison	1823
Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago	Chicago	Cook	1849
Frankfort United Methodist Church	Frankfort	Will	1853
Galena United Methodist Church	Galena	Jo Daviess	1829
Galesburg First United Methodist Church	Galesburg	Knox	1847
Garden Plain Presbyterian Church	Fulton	Whiteside	1850
Gary Memorial United Methodist Church	Wheaton	DuPage	1853
Geneva Evangelical Lutheran Church (ECLA)	Geneva	Kane	1853
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1841
Harding United Methodist Church	Earlville	LaSalle	1838
Havana First United Methodist Church	Havana	Mason	1838
Hinckley First United Methodist Church	Hinckley	DeKalb	1852
Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church	East Carondelet	St Clair	1841
Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg	Waterloo	Monroe	1841
Holy Family Parish	Chicago	Cook	1857
Holy Family Roman Catholic Congregation	Danville	Vermillion	1858
Holy Trinity Church	Bloomington	McLean	1853
Homer United Methodist Church	Homer	Champaign	1839
Houston United Methodist Church	Rushville	Schuyler	1864
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church	Columbia	Monroe	1846
Immaculate Conception Church	Pittsfield	Pike	1852
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)	Crystal Lake	McHenry	1870
Immanuel Lutheran Church	Hinckley	DeKalb	1865
Immanuel Lutheran Church	Mokena	Will	1850
Indian Point Presbyterian Church	Athens	Menard	1832
Indianola Comm. United Methodist Church	Indianola	Vermillion	1826
Ivanhoe Congregational Church	Mundelein	Lake	1838
Jacksonville Asbury United Methodist Church	Jacksonville	Morgan	1830
Jefferson Prairie Lutheran Church	Poplar Grove	Boone	1844
Jonathan Creek Christian Church	Sullivan	Moultrie	1837
KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation	Chicago	Cook	1847
Lacon Congregational United Church of Christ	Lacon	Marshall	1837
Lake Fork United Church of Christ	Atwood	Piatt	1842
Lanark United Methodist Church	Lanark	Carroll	1858
Lane Christian Church	Lane	DeWitt	1850
Lebanon North Cumberland Presbyterian Church	Fairfield	Wayne	1871
Lighthouse United Methodist Church	Oregon	Ogle	1836
Little Grove Christian Church	Walnut Hill	Marion	1838
Lovington United Methodist Church	Lovington	Moultrie	1845
Lyonsville Congregational United Church of Christ	Indian Head Park	Cook	1843
Mackinaw Christian Church	Mackinaw	Tazewell	1834
Main Baptist Church	Aurora	Kane	1867
Malta United Methodist Church	Malta	DeKalb	1832
Marion Christian Church	West Salem	Edwards	1845
Mechanicsburg Christian Church	Mechanicsburg	Sangamon	1842
Modesto Baptist Church	Auburn	Sangamon	1829
Mount Carroll United Methodist Church	Mount Carroll	Carroll	1847
Mount Moriah Lutheran Church	Anna	Union	1869
Mt. Olive Baptist Church	Virginia	Cass	1859
Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church	Champaign	Champaign	1841
New Hope Baptist Church	Litchfield	Montgomery	1866
New Lebanon Baptist Church	Kilbourne	Mason	1868
North Danvers Mennonite	Danvers	McLean	1851
North Grove Evangelical Church	Forreston	Ogle	1860
Oak Valley Free Will Baptist Church	Geff	Wayne	1854
Ogden United Methodist Church	Ogden	Champaign	1871
Olive Branch Evangelical Lutheran Church	Okawville	Washington	1865
Park Presbyterian Church	Streator	LaSalle	1858
Peace United Church of Christ	Jerseyville	Jersey	1870
Peter Cartwright United Methodist Church	Pleasant Plains	Sangamon	1824
Pinckneyville First Baptist Church	Pinckneyville	Perry	1865
Pine Creek Christian Church	Polo	Ogle	1860
Pisgah Presbyterian Church	Bridgeport	Lawrence	1835
Prairie City First Presbyterian Church	Prairie City	McDonough	1841
Presbyterian Church of Fulton	Fulton	Whiteside	1856
Raritan Baptist Church	Raritan	Henderson	1858
Raritan Reformed Church	Stronghurst	Henderson	1855
Redeemer Episcopal Church	Cairo	Alexander	1840
Reno Bethel Presbyterian Church	Donnellson	Montgomery	1825
Rock Creek Presbyterian Church	Tallula	Menard	1822
Salem Baptist Church	Alton	Madison	1819
Salem United Church of Christ	Alhambra	Madison	1860
Sangamon Valley Presbyterian Church	Rushville	Schuyler	1848
Second Congregational United Church of Christ	Rockford	Winnebago	1849
Second Presbyterian Church	Bloomington	McLean	1855
Second Presbyterian Church	Bloomington	McLean	1855
Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago	Chicago	Cook	1842
Shiloh Baptist Church	Villa Ridge	Pulaski	1817
Shiloh Baptist Church of Bridgeport	Bridgeport	Lawrence	1839
Sorento First Presbyterian Church	Sorento	Bond	1828
SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church	Alton	Madison	1855
St. Aloysius Church	Chrisman	Edgar	1817
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church	Edwardsville	Madison	1841

St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church	Murphysboro	Jackson	1868
St. Anthony of Padua	Effingham	Effingham	1858
St. Boniface Catholic Church	Germantown	Clinton	1834
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church	Jerseyville	Jersey	1857
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church	St. Francisville	Lawrence	1818
St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church	Forreston	Ogle	1850
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church	Darien	DuPage	1859
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church	Bartonville	Peoria	1851
St. John United Church of Christ	Mascoutah	St Clair	1843
St. John United Church of Christ	Palatine	Cook	1846
St. John United Church of Christ	Freeport	Stephenson	1848
St. John United Church of Christ	Naperville	DuPage	1857
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1870
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church	Flossmoor	Cook	1849
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church	Geneseo	Henry	1869
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (LCMS)	Louisville	Effingham	1867
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Somonauk	Somonauk	DeKalb	1860
St. John’s Lutheran Church	Mendota	LaSalle	1858
St. John’s Lutheran Church of Christ	Waukegan	Lake	1872
St. John’s Lutheran Church of New Minden (LCMS)	Nashville	Washington	1846
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Mt. Prospect	Mount Prospect	Cook	1848
St. John’s United Church of Christ	Mokena	Will	1843
St. John’s United Church of Christ of Johannesburg	Maryville	Madison	1837
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church	Kilbourne	Mason	1845
St. Joseph Catholic Church	Peoria	Peoria	1855
St. Joseph Church	Wilmette	Cook	1843
St. Malachy Catholic Church and School	Geneseo	Henry	1866
St. Mark United Methodist Church	Kankakee	Kankakee	1854
St. Mary Catholic Church	New Berlin	Sangamon	1860
St. Mary Help of Christians	Effingham	Effingham	1860
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception	Rock Island	Rock Island	1851
St. Mary’s Church	Edwardsville	Madison	1842
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Conception	Bloomington	McLean	1867
St. Matthew Lutheran Church	Brussels	Calhoun	1861
St. Patrick Catholic Church	McHenry	McHenry	1840
St. Patrick Catholic Church	Tolono	Champaign	1859
St. Patrick Catholic Church of Rochelle	Rochelle	Ogle	1856
St. Patrick Church	Pana	Christian	1858
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1843
St. Paul Church of Epleyanna (CCCC)	Davis	Stephenson	1847
St. Paul Community Church	Homewood	Cook	1865
St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church (ECLA)	Orion	Henry	1870
St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)	Chenoa	McLean	1864
St. Paul United Church of Christ	Belleville	St. Clair	1839
St. Paul United Church of Christ	Lebanon	St. Clair	1868
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church	Neoga	Cumberland	1870
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ	Chicago	Cook	1858
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ	Monee	Will	1858
St. Peter Catholic Church	Quincy	Adams	1839
St. Peter Lutheran Church	Benson	Woodford	1858
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church	Sycamore	DeKalb	1879
St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church	Joliet	Will	1857
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ	Frankfort	Will	1867
St. Sebastian Catholic Churcj	Waverly	Sangamon	1858
Sugar Tree Grove Presbyterian Church	Monmouth	Warren	1830
Sumner Congregational Christian Church	Sumner	Lawrence	1860
Sycamore United Methodist Church	Sycamore	DeKalb	1836
Temple Brith Sholom	Springfield	Sangamon	1867
Temple Sholom of Chicago	Chicago	Cook	1867
Ten Mile Missionary Baptist Church	McLeansboro	Hamilton	1820
Tinley Park United Methodist	Tinley Park	Cook	1858
Trinity Church	Rock Island	Rock Island	1853
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1841
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Churh	Mount Morris	Ogle	1846
Trinity Lutheran Church	Red Bud	Randolph	1842
Trinity Lutheran Church	Shumway	Effingham	1864
Trinity Lutheran Church	Tinley Park	Cook	1859
Trinity United Methodist Church	Chicago	Cook	1858
Union Church of Hinsdale	Hinsdale	Cook	1866
Unitarian Universalist Church	Bloomington	McLean	1859
United Methodist Church of Murphysboro	Murphysboro	Jackson	1825
United Methodist Church of New Lenox	New Lenox	Will	1835
United Presbyterian Church of Peoria	Peoria	Peoria	1834
Vermilion United Methodist Church	Vermilion	Edgar	1865
Village Cumberland Presbyterian Church	Norris City	White	1819
Wabash Presbyterian Church	Allendale	Wabash	1822
Waltham Presbyterian Church	Utica	LaSalle	1849
Wapella Christian Church	Wapella	DeWitt	1867
Ward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church	Peoria	Adams	1846
Washington Presbyterian Church	Washington	Tazewell	1834
Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church	Bloomington	McLean	1843
Wesley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church	Edwardsville	Madison	1865
Wesley United Methodist Church	Charleston	Coles	1835
Wesley United Methodist Church	Sterling	Whiteside	1867
Wesley United Methodist Church	Aurora	Kane	1858
West Twin Grove Christian Church	Bloomington	McLean	1841
Westminster Presbyterian Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1835
Westminster United Presbyterian Church	Galena	Jo Daviess	1846
Wheatland Presbyterian Church	Plainfield	Will	1848
White House Christian Church	Lawrenceville	Lawrence	1843
Williamsville United Methodist Church	Williamsville	Sangamon	1857
Woodland Church	Fairmont Township	Pike	1867
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church	Bonfield	Kankakee	1859
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church	Ottawa	LaSalle	1860
Zion Missionary Baptist Church	Springfield	Sangamon	1838
Zion United Methodist Church	Lawrenceville	Lawrence	1836
Zion United Methodist Church	Hampshire	Kane	1845
Zion United Methodist Church	Central City	Marion	1858

Sesquicentennial Houses of Worship Award

Sesquicentennial House of Worship Award

Previous Recipients

Sesquicentennial Houses of Worship Award

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