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Community Corner

The First Congregational Church and Masonic Lodge (1872)

One of Des Plaines' oldest buildings stands at Graceland and Prairie Streets.

One of the oldest buildings in Des Plaines remains in use today as the home of Des Plaines Masonic Lodge #890. This building has seen many changes inside, outside, and all around it since it was built in 1871-1872 as the First Congregational Church.The second organized church in Des Plaines, First Congregational was formed in 1869, first meeting at the Simeon Lee house. The church lot at Graceland and Prairie was donated by sub-divider Alfred Parsons. The building was overseen by Mr. Franklin Whitcomb of the Whitcomb brickyard (the clay pits of which now form Shagbark Lake), who also donated the brick. This may account for the fine quality of its brick detailing. The Gothic Revival building was finally dedicated February 18, 1872.The church was still quite bare. The only room was the sanctuary. From Graceland Avenue, churchgoers climbed six wooden steps into an entryway with a ladder and trap door above, for the belfry and steeple. Entering the sanctuary, there were two aisles leading to the pulpit platform. At the center of the room was a chandelier with eight oil lamps. Congregants sat on small benches made with wood slats and curved seats.The church struggled for several years, with only about 15 members, and was unable to engage a pastor in 1875 due to insufficient salary. In 1878, they decided to combine services with the equally small Methodist church, which worked well for the next 10 years.The building receivedits first addition in 1899, recieving a central heating plant, Sunday School rooms, a dining room, and a kitchen at the back end of the sanctuary. This was dedicated November 26, 1899. In 1901 a basement was excavated, providing a larger dining room. As the church grew, another major Craftsman-style addition and renovation came in 1911-1912, adding several Sunday School classes and redecorating the entire building in soft tones of brown and new carpet. The sanctuary's orientation was switched so that the pulpit was where the entrance had been, allowing for an increase in seating capacity from 150 to 225 by raising a partition between the sanctuary and Sunday School. The old benches were replaced by oak pews and a new organ was donated by the choir. Further remodeling occurred in 1919 including new kitchen equipment. On the outside, the steeple and belfry were removed and a new entrance was added on Prairie Avenue.On April 1, 1927, the board of trustees decided that, in light of the membership now numbering 284, it was time to immediately start work on a new church. By October, 1928, following an aggressive membership campaign, that number had grown to 434 members. Having outgrown their space, the last service was held in the old church on October 27, 1929 and the first service in the new church down the street was held the next week; membership was at 536.The leaded windows were replaced by plain glass. By the 1940s, the building became home to Trinity Lutheran church, until that church itself outgrew the space and moved to its new home at Algonquin Road and 5th Street in 1956.The Des Plaines Masonic Lodge #890 then moved in and has occupied it ever since. The windows were removed and bricked in and the interior was completely remodeled. Today it looks much the same.

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