St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Monee is celebrating its status as a Will County landmark.
The designation became official last week. With it, St. Paul’s joins four other historic Monee locations: The Monee Heritage Center, St. Paul’s Cemetery, St. Boniface Catholic Church, and the Fuerst residence on Margaret Street, a 1920s-era English Tudor Style house that is privately owned.
Part of St. Paul’s celebration included the presentation of an engraved bronze plaque during Sunday’s worship service.
The presentation was made by Andrew R. Partak Jr., member/architect of the Will County Historic Preservation Commission.
In addition, local historian Christi Holston spoke about the church’s earliest years.
“The roots of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Monee lie in Germany,” she said. “The ideas of the Reformation created independent thinking church members.
“A repressive political climate in Germany led many to emigrate to America to avoid conscription into the Prussian army and also for economic prosperity.
“A number of these immigrants settled in eastern Will County. Thirty-five of them founded St. Paul’s congregation in 1858 as the: ‘Synodale Deutsche Vereinigte Evangelische Gemeinde der Sanct Paul’s Kirche zu Monee.’
“The first church building was erected in 1860. The plot of ground, on the south side of Margaret Street between Linden and Middlepoint, was donated to the congregation by Augustus Herbert, veteran of the Spanish-American War and founder of Monee. Herbert had received 160 acres from the government for his service in the war. He also donated his family cemetery across the street, which is the N/W corner of our present cemetery and contains the oldest graves dating back to the mid 1850s
“Jacob Vatter, another early settler, contributed his carpentry skills and, in August of 1860, the new church, a white-washed, rectangular, towerless American Gothic structure, was dedicated.
“During the first 20 years, the church had 10 different pastors,” Holston continued.
“In 1876, a new combined parsonage and schoolhouse was built and the congregation numbered about 60 people. The German schoolhouse was built in 1877, when Rev. Hofheinz was pastor.
“Rev. Staehlin became the minister in 1879 and served until September 1895, and lots of things started happening.
The ‘German’ school prospered and both the Frauen Verein (Women’s organization) and the Jugend Verein (Young People’s league) were organized.
“The Frauen Verein, organized in 1892 with 41 charter members, was a new concept for most of the women, who had not had the opportunities for service and leadership outside of the home that it provided.”
She said the year 1894 was a time of improvements at the church. “The bell tower was built by carpenter Henry Hoffman at a cost of $1,203 and, in May, the Frauen Verein presented two bells to the church, the larger weighing 1,800 pounds and the smaller 1,000 pounds.
“On August 31, the bells and bell tower were dedicated. The bells were moved to the current church building upon its dedication in 1915. These bells have rung for many significant occasions in the life of St Paul’s. For decades they rang every Saturday evening at five o’clock reminding worshippers of the forthcoming Sabbath and tolled the years of life upon the death of a member of the congregation. They rang out to celebrate the end of two World Wars.
“A pipe organ was donated to the church by the Frauen Verein in 1898 and dedicated on Sunday, July 17, of that year. Sadly, the great organ could no longer be repaired cost effectively, was sold in 2015, and replaced.”
A New Edifice
“A new church constitution went into effect on February 5, 1911. It gave the church the new name‘Evangelical St. Paul’s Church of Monee, Illinois.’
“In May of 1913, the congregation approved a project to build a new church building.
“The property on which the current church stands had been owned by John Schlotthauer, who settled in Monee in 1867. It had been purchased by the church in 1905, simply because it was such an eyesore across the street from the current church. The minutes of the church meeting state, ‘There is manure oozing out from under the cow stable and pig pen and flowing over the sidewalk.’
“Now this land was exactly what was needed for a new building.
The plans for the new church were drawn up by Chicago architect W. C. Jones. Koenning Brothers of Peotone were given the construction contract for the sum of $17,275.
“Three organizations of the church purchased the large stained-glass windows for the new building.
The Jugend Verein funded ‘Christ Blessing the Children’ for the north window; the Frauen Verein funded ‘Jesus in Gethsemane’ for the east window; and the Sewing Circle funded ‘The Good Shepherd’ for the west side.
The total cost of these beautiful windows was approximately $1,200.
Dedication Services
“One of the largest congregations ever brought together in Monee attended the dedication service and laying of the cornerstone on Sunday afternoon, June 12, 1914. Between four and five thousand people were in attendance,” she said.
“A huge crowd arrived via three special train cars for Monee, filled with visitors from towns to the north, while visitors from the south arrived via the interurban electric trains.
“After the cornerstone ceremony the ladies of the church spread long tables in the basement and loaded them with fried chicken, boiled ham, potato salad, pickles, pies and all the trimming, serving more than 4,000 until long into the evening.”
Early Years
“Four years after the new church was built a new parsonage also was erected, with the exterior brick, same as that of the church. The Rev. A. B. Gaebe family came to St. Paul’s in May 1916 and was the first to reside in the new dwelling. In 1949, the parsonage kitchen was remodeled.
“A tragic fire on December 5, 1930, completely gutted the interior of the church. Insurance adjustors allowed $16,306.38 for damages.
“In 1934 the Evangelical Synod of North America and the Reformed Church in the United States merged, and we became ‘St. Paul’s Evangelical and Reformed church’.
“In January of 1935, Rev. Herbert Bloesch of Bremen, Indiana, delivered his first sermon and served the church for 11 years. He was followed by his brother, Rev. Walter Bloesch of Kansas City, Missouri, who began his duties March 10, 1946. He remained in Monee until 1955, when he became pastor of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Crystal Lake.
“The Rev Paul Bloesch served as an interim pastor at Faith Church in Matteson, which has just recently combined with St. Paul’s. All three of these Bloesch brothers are uncles of the Rev. Cal Bloesch, who led us in worship this past Mother’s Day.
“Since 1958, due to the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian churches we have been known as St. Paul’s United Church of Christ.”
Holston said that during the 1950s the church was “bursting at the seams.”
“The Tabea Society was busy making quilts, Fellowship Hall couldn’t accommodate any more children as sheets were hung to divide the space into classrooms, plus some classes still had to meet in the parsonage.
“During the pastorate of Rev. Philip Krause (1955-’60) the addition of the educational and multi-purpose two-story wing and renovation of the basement were completed to accommodate the rapidly expanding congregation.
“In October 1958, the church celebrated its centennial.
“Rev. A. W. Klumb, formerly of Milwaukee, came to serve the congregation in October of 1960. Rev. Klumb retired in 1974, and Rev. Hal Youngblood was called in an attempt to bring the youth back into the life of the church.
“After four years of limited success, the Youngbloods left to serve a church in Florida.
“Rev. Dr. Robert Hurst began a long and successful tenure with St. Paul’s in 1982.
“St. Paul’s Christian School opened on August 23, 1993, with three classrooms and nine students, kindergarten through third grade. Funding continued to be a challenge, but dedicated teachers and committed parents, plus congregational support kept the school open and growing.
“Rev. Hurst took a post in Alabama, and his last day with St. Paul’s was December 24, 2000. Mark Pittman, a congregate, was selected to serve as temporary pastor, pending his ordination.
“Mark served from November 2003 until April 2005. His time was marked by dissension, financial mismanagement, and malfeasance. The Christian Church School became a financial drain, and its fiscal practices questionable.
“After months of acrimonious discourse, a vote was taken, and the outvoted dissenting members followed Mark Pittman and set up a new church.
“St. Paul’s faced the biggest rebuilding process in its history. The finances were in ruins, and the morale of the congregation was very low.
“Rev. Peggy Johnson was called as the new settled pastor.
She brought the gift of reconciliation to the damaged community. Church started to be a place of joy and celebration again, where love and fellowship won out over distrust and isolation.
“The Mother-Daughter Banquet was revitalized and the annual Cookie Walk, Oktober Fest, and Pork Chop Dinner were born. The Care Ministry and other programs, many targeted towards the needs of seniors in our ageing congregation, were instituted. Meals on wheels, DAR, and AA groups all began to meet at the church. Rev. Peggy Johnson served as pastor from 2005 until her retirement due to ill health on December 31, 2018.
“Since that time, St Paul’s has been in the process of searching for a new permanent pastor to lead us into the future.
“This year, we will welcome 11 new members to the St. Paul’s family. St. John Church, originally organized in 1898 in Chicago Heights, and Faith Church of Righton/Matteson, organized in 1867, both have rich and full histories just like St. Paul’s.
“Around 2004, St. John Church had to make the difficult decision to sell the church and merge with Faith Church in Matteson.
“By around 2022, another difficult decision had to be made, and the congregation of St. John Faith was again forced to look for a new church home. We are delighted to welcome some of those members into the fellowship of St. Paul’s.
“We have a long history of service to the community and are dedicated to making sure this legacy continues into the future.
“Together we can continue to be an example of God’s love and acceptance in a hurting world and are committed to finding new pathways to making St. Paul’s congregation a strong, vital and spiritually fulfilling place of worship for all.”
In a final thought, Holston added, “As we stand in this sacred space — rich with history, faith, and fellowship — I want to take a moment to reflect on the legacy of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ. For more than a century, this church has been more than just a building. It has been a home, a refuge, and a cornerstone of our community.
“Today, I’m inviting you to help us honor that legacy by joining our newly forming historic committee. This group will be dedicated to preserving the artifacts, stories, and memories that make our church so special. From old photographs and handwritten letters, to cherished mementos tucked away in attics and albums — we want to gather and protect them for future generations.
“If you have a passion for history, storytelling, or simply love this church and its people, we would be grateful for your time and talents. Whether you can help organize, archive, interview longtime members, or simply share your own memories, there’s a place for you.
“We’re also asking for donations — not of money, but of memories. If you have photos, documents, or keepsakes that tell the story of St. Paul’s, please consider sharing them with us. Originals can be scanned and returned, and every contribution will help us build a lasting tribute to our church’s journey.
“Let’s come together to preserve the spirit of St. Paul’s — not just in bricks and mortar, but in stories and hearts.
“Thank you, and I hope you’ll consider being part of this meaningful effort.”