HR0533 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0533 LRB098 12804 GRL 47291 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the First Presbyterian Church of Vandalia on its long and storied history; and

WHEREAS, In 1823, the Illinois General Assembly donated 5 lots to the City of Vandalia so that the capital city could have a church; Vandalia city leaders sold 4 of the lots and built the little House of Divine Worship on the 5th lot with the remaining money; and

WHEREAS, The American Home Missionary Society sent the Reverend Solomon P. Hardy to organize the new church; the first members of the church included Jeremiah Abbott, his wife, Betsy, Mrs. Ruth Russell, Mrs. Amy Davidson, and Mrs. Martha Gorin on certificate; Mr. Samuel Russell and Miss Ruth Russell were on examination; and

WHEREAS, Following the completion of the House of Divine Worship, all people were invited to worship there, although it was used primarily by Presbyterians and Methodists; the House of Divine Worship was also used as a school; and

WHEREAS, Many important government officials and outstanding members of the community were members of the House of Divine Worship of Vandalia and it is believed that Abraham Lincoln worshipped there; and

WHEREAS, One of the most revered artifacts of the early Presbyterian Church and Vandalia was donated to the church after a Philadelphia department store owner and extensive land owner, Romulus Riggs, read an article about the poor little Presbyterian Church way out in the Wilderness Capital of Illinois; Mr. Riggs sent a bell in honor of his newly-born daughter, who was named Illinois; and

WHEREAS, In 1837, legislators voted to move the capital to Springfield; since Vandalia was built as the seat of the State government in 1839, many Vandalia citizens moved to Springfield, which caused the population to drop greatly; as a result, the church's membership dropped to 5 people; and

WHEREAS, Five people could not support the House of Divine Worship; therefore, the church was rented to a farmer who raised sheep on the premises until 1848, when it was reestablished by Reverend Joseph Gordon; and

WHEREAS, In the early 1860s, a maiden lady of the church passed away and left $800 in her will to the church, requesting that the money be used to build a new church; and

WHEREAS, In 1867, the House of Divine Worship land was purchased for $500 by the trustees of the Presbyterian Church, which included Trustee James Hall, who is known as the first man of letters in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The women of the church hosted strawberry festivals to raise money and with the help of Matthias Fehren's donation of $4,000, Fred Remann, Sr.'s donation of $3.000, and Dr. J. N. and Calvin McCord's donation of $1,000, the new Presbyterian church was built on the corner of Main St. and 3rd St. at a cost of $15,000; and

WHEREAS, The House of Divine Worship was moved to the back of the lot during construction and was later sold to the First Christian Church; and

WHEREAS, After the First Christian Church built a new church, the House of Divine Worship became a private residence; and

WHEREAS, In 1970, the Presbyterians built a new church; Historical Vandalia, Inc. purchased the old building, with plans to open a museum on the first floor; on June 10, 1979, the Fayette County Museum was opened to the public for the first time; and

WHEREAS, In March of 1982, the old Presbyterian Church building joined the National Register of Historic Places; and

WHEREAS, The Fayette County Museum is now one of Vandalia's major tourist attractions; the museum is staffed by volunteers and operates on donations; each year, thousands of school children and tourists have the opportunity to view artifacts dating back to the days when Vandalia was the capital of Illinois from 1820 to 1839; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Vandalia Presbyterian Church on its enriching role in Illinois history and wish the church's congregation success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Vandalia Presbyterian Church as a symbol of our esteem and respect.