Oak Park, Ill. Harvard Congregational Church records, 1907-1997.

Collection

Identifier: RG5588

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains, primarily, membership and auxiliary group records for the Harvard Congregational Church in Oak Park, Illinois. The collection includes building records, trustees' minutes, Woman’s Benevolent Society records, Five Point Club records, newsletters and a “diary” related to World War II, Sunday school records, a history scrapbook, photographs and a postcard, and the church’s memorial book.

Dates

1907-1997

Creator

Harvard Congregational Church (Oak Park, Ill.) (Organization)

Restrictions on Access

Access to this collection is unrestricted and open to the public.

Restrictions on Use

Items in this collection are subject to U.S. Copyright Law. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of collection items and to secure any permissions necessary for their reproduction and publication. Requests for permission to publish material must be discussed with the archivist or librarian.

Historical Note

The story of the Harvard Congregational Church in Oak Park, Illinois, began on Thanksgiving Day, 1905, when Rev. William E. Barton found an undeveloped lot at the intersection of Harvard Street and Kenilworth Avenue and declared that “upon this rock will I build my church.” In 1906, the lot was purchased by a Joint Conference Committee and the first religious service on the lot was held on June 24 of that year. Ground broke on a church building in October with William Barton breaking the first ground. The first meeting of the Harvard Chapel was held on January 20th, 1907, and the church was formally named the Harvard Congregational Church on February 5th.

Rev. O. C. Grauer was the first minister of the newly formed church. He was quickly followed by Rev. C. Arthur Jevne in October, 1907. Jevne remained pastor until 1915. He was followed by Rev. Edward J. Ridings. On December 13, 1916, the church was destroyed by a fire. Following the disaster, the church met in the Circle Masonic Temple. Construction on a new church building was begun in April 1917 and the new building was dedicated on December 9th of that year. Rev. William H. Hill became the fourth pastor of the church in 1926.

After the formation of the United Church of Christ, the Harvard Congregational Church joined the denomination. In 2005, the church merged with the Family of Faith church to form the Harvard Family United Church of Christ. The church continues to serve the Oak Park community today.

Extent

1.14 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The first meeting of the Harvard Chapel was held on January 20th, 1907, and the church was formally named the Harvard Congregational Church on February 5th, 1907. The first church building was destroyed by fire in 1916 and replaced a year later. The church joined with the United Church of Christ after the denomination’s formation. In 2005, the church merged with the Family of Faith church to form the Harvard Family United Church of Christ. The church remains open today. The collection contain membership and auxiliary group records and includes trustees’ records, auxiliary group records, especially from the women’s group, World War II related records, Sunday school records, and photographs.

Arrangement

Materials in this collection have been arranged into chronological, with contiguous materials grouped together.

Custodial History

Materials in this collection were given to the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ at an unknown time. There is no further documentation on how the materials arrived at the Illinois Conference.

Acquisition Information

Materials were donated to the Congregational Library & Archives by the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ in December 2024; accession number 2024-46.