See the article on this website of November 2004 for more information about the Christian Church, which was razed in 1971. The bell from the tower is the only remaining artifact and it is in a prominent place in front of the Church of Christ, Uniting today.
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The Evangelical United Brethren Church, later known as the Evangelical United Methodist or Evan, after several minor moves, was last found at the southeast corner of Walnut and Cedar Streets.
Many of the most important days of a person’s life are associated with a church and people hold fond memories of those old buildings even after they are gone. A remaining artifact from the E.U.B. Church is the large bell salvaged from the bell tower and placed as a memorial at the corner of Walnut and Cedar.
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Most of the other church buildings we will tour here had their beginnings well over a hundred years ago.
The earliest area built “Church House,” as it was called, was built in 1845 at the Patton Settlement in Pleasant Hill. This congregation was recognized as the first church body organized in McLean County. The old church building was moved and eventually burned after serving its final days as a chapel in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Here is a picture to commemorate its importance to this community, even though nothing remains of it today.
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The first church in the city of Lexington’s history, the E.U.B. mentioned above, was torn down in 1994 after more than 150 years of faithful service to the Lexington members. It was also one of the original meeting spots for the first “Methodist Society” who eventually built a 45 X 65 foot frame building for $2,700 in 1855 a few blocks away on the site of the present First United Methodist Church on the northwest corner of Chestnut and Cedar at 108 S. Cedar. In 1881 the brick auditorium of the present church building was erected for $5,361.
In 1907 the addition of classrooms to the north of the sanctuary along with a beautiful chandelier, which still hangs in the sanctuary, and pipe organ were installed. During the 1930s a basement and kitchen area was excavated under the original brick structure.
In 1955 the church expanded its facilities to the north by building an education wing of 8 classrooms and a full basement. It became necessary to replace the pipe organ in 1970 with an electric organ. Many renovations and redesigns have kept the old church lovingly maintained over the years and the original stained glass windows still gleam when the sun shines in.
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On the southeast corner of Walnut and Pine at 109 N. Pine stands the present-day Church of Christ Uniting. It was originally a Presbyterian Church and was built by that congregation in 1867 for $5,500. It was the first brick church building in Lexington.
It has been remodeled a number of times over the years. The unique, unusually broad proportions have been maintained in the composite of many styles. The original, predominate style is Victorian era Romanesque Revival and each of the later additions (the Queen Anne tower and the Gothic entry were finished in about 1900) reflect the popular taste of their time, but do not disturb the harmony of the design. In 1954 a growing congregation added a fellowship room to the back part of the church. By 1970 the numbers in the church were decreasing and a union was formed with the Christian Church to merge into the Church of Christ, Uniting.
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The Lexington Community Church stands on the northwest corner of North and Cedar at 301 W. North Street. It was erected as a Baptist Church in 1871 for $4,000 and was renamed in 2006. The high peaked roof and delightful steeple are its most prominent features and are reminiscent of early churches in New England.
This structure has been damaged by 3 fires and a tornado and has been repaired and remodeled several times. An extensive addition was completed in 1993 to provide classrooms, an upstairs nursery, a fellowship hall, pastor’s office, a commercial kitchen and restrooms. The Lexington Community Church has recently broken ground and made plans to build a new facility on South Pine Street.
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The history of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lexington predates the simple frame church, which was built in 1898 at the corner of Lee and Walnut at the cost of $1,600. The original stained glass windows serve as reminders of the early families who gathered together as early as 1856 to celebrate Mass with traveling priests in private homes until the church was built. The early families were mostly Irish immigrants, many of who settled in this area to work on the railroads.
St. Mary’s has been remodeled or redecorated several times over the years, but the building remains essentially the same with a sanctuary that seats up to 225 and a gallery of good capacity.
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In 1954 St. Paul’s Lutheran of Chenoa celebrated their 90th anniversary and decided to organize a new sister congregation, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran in Lexington. Lots were purchased at the corner of Chatham and Cherry Streets and plans were finalized for a sprawling building to house a sanctuary, parish hall and an educational unit. On December 2, 1956 a dedication service was held in the large modern stone building, even though the nave of the church was not finished yet and services were held for a number of years in the parish hall.
St. Paul’s Lutheran remains the newest church
in town at this time.