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HomeMy Public PortalAbout12-13-18 HPC Agenda PacketHistoric Preservation Commission Thursday, December 13, 2018 7:00 PM Village boardroom 24401 w. lockport street plainfield, il 60544 Agenda CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Approval of Minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission held on October 11, 2018. 2018-10-11 HPC Minutes.pdf CHAIR'S COMMENTS COMMISSIONER'S COMMENTS PUBLIC COMMENTS (5 minutes per topic) OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS Case No.: 1825-111518.HPC Request: Landmark Nomination Location: 24022 W. Lockport St. Applicant: Bill Beagle, Plymouth Congregational Church 24022 W. Lockport St. Staff Report.pdf Individual Landmark Nomination.pdf DISCUSSION 1 Historic Preservation Commission Page - 2 ADJOURN REMINDERS - December 17, 2018 - Village Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. December 18, 2018 - Plan Commission Meeting at 7:00 p.m. January 3, 2019 - Joint LDDC & Public Outreach Meeting at 5:00 p.m. January 10, 2019 - Historic Preservation Meeting at 7:00 p.m. 2 Agenda Item No: Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item Report Meeting Date: December 13, 2018 Submitted by: Tracey Erickson Submitting Department: Planning Department Item Type: Minutes Agenda Section: Subject: Approval of Minutes of the Historic Preservation Commission held on October 11, 2018. Suggested Action: Attachments: 2018-10-11 HPC Minutes.pdf 3 Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission Record of Minutes Date: October 11, 2018 Location: Village Hall CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, PLEDGE Pro Tem Chairwoman Olsen called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Roll call was taken: Commissioners Schmidt, Hendricksen, Hagen, Rapp and Pro Tem Chairwoman Olsen were present. Commissioners Lucas, Barvian, Derrick and Chairman Bortel were absent. Also, in attendance: Jonathan Proulx, Director of Planning; Kendra Kuehlem, Associate Planner; and Tracey Erickson, Recording Secretary. Pro Tem Chairwoman Olsen led the pledge to the flag. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Rapp made a motion to approve the agenda. Seconded by Commissioner Hagen. Voice Vote. All in favor. 0 opposed. Motion carried 5-0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Hendericksen made a motion to approve the August 9, 2018 minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Schmidt. Voice Vote. All in favor. 0 opposed. Motion carried 5-0. CHAIR’S COMMENTS Pro Tem Chairwoman Olsen stated she was happy the Preservation Watch List is back. COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS Commissioner Schmidt stated that they are looking for volunteers to help at the Baker House to remove the siding. PUBLIC COMMENT No Comment. OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS 1813-080718.DEMO 24115 W. Commercial St. Rom Ruane Ms. Kuehlem stated the applicant is the owner of the parcel at 24115 W. Commercial Street, which is improved with a small home that dates back to the 1860’s. The structure is in need of maintenance and repair. The petitioner is proposing to demolish the existing structure. As a contributing structure, such request is subject to public hearing and recommendation by the Historic Preservation Commission to determine if a community impact study is recommended. Ms. Kuehlem reviewed the staff report dated October 8, 2018. Ms. Kuehlem stated Demolition is always identified as a last resort but in instances where it is not economically viable to restore a building and in circumstances where the history and/or architectural significance of the structure are limited, demolition may be the most appropriate action. The applicant would propose to build a new, residential structure on the site. The Historic Preservation Commission has an opportunity to make a recommendation on the demolition request. Mr. Proulx explained the demolition process and explained what considerations should be taken. 4 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 11, 2018 Page 2 of 3 Click on the link to view the video of the October 11, 2018 Historical Preservation Commission Meeting. http://plainfieldil.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=404 Pro Tem Chairwoman Olsen swore in Michael Lambert of the Plainfield Historical Society. Mr. Lambert provided a history of the Village of Plainfield and the pre-Civil War buildings. Mr. Lambert presumed that the home was built by Mr. Spivy, who is a historically significant figure. Mr. Lambert stated that this building deserves further research. Mr. Lambert stated that the renderings provided should not be part of the consideration of the demolition, it should be based on protecting the history of Plainfield. Mr. Lambert stated that this proposal is in violation of some of the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. Mr. Lambert stated because of the lot size that this home could support an addition. Commissioner Hendericksen asked if the question of the house being moved has been answered, since a historian in Plainfield believes that this is the original location of the home. Commissioner Hendericksen explained how the economics affects this project. Commissioner Hendericksen suggested that the applicant work with staff and the HPC to try and put an addition on the home. Commissioner Hagen stated he believes the key feature of the home are the history, time period of construction, and the person who built it, but not the architecture of the home. Commissioner Hagen asked what the Alternative Analysis Report entails. Mr. Proulx explained the purpose of an Alternative Analysis Report. Commissioner Hendericksen and Mr. Proulx discussed the concept plan purpose of the demolition application and viability of the plan the applicant submitted. Pro Tem Chairwoman Olsen swore in Tom Ruane, applicant. Mr. Ruane stated the concept plans were given to the commission because they were required to show his intent with the property. Mr. Ruane stated there are no standards for building homes in the downtown area. Mr. Ruane stated there are no original features on the home besides the shape and scale. Mr. Ruane stated he did consider adding an addition, but it did not make sense. Mr. Ruane stated he is planning on building a home on the lot for his family. Commissioner Hendericksen indicated that it appears that there are no original features on the outside of the home except the shape. Commissioner Hendericksen voiced that the builder of the home may not be reason enough to keep the house. Commissioner Hendericksen stated it helps that the applicant is willing to work with the Village to build something that will fit with the character of the neighborhood. Commissioner Schmidt asked if the house is currently occupied. Mr. Ruane responded that there is not. Commissioner Schmidt asked how long the applicant has owned the property. Mr. Ruane stated he has owned the home for 3 months and the previous owner was selling it because of mold in the basement, framing issues, and plumbing issues. Commissioner Rapp asked the applicant to confirm that the amount of the restoration of the property would be $191,632. Mr. Ruane confirmed. Mr. Lambert provided an explanation on the home’s architectural significance. Pro Tem Chairwomen Olsen asked who compiled the list of pre-Civil War houses in Plainfield. Mr. Proulx stated Chairman Bortel. Pro Tem Chairwomen Olsen stated the Village Ordinance does have specifications on in-fill houses in Plainfield. Pro Tem Chairwomen read from the demolition ordinance. Commissioner Hendericksen stated the HPC is here to help, if they approve the demolition he wants the applicant to build something that is sensitive to the neighborhood. Mr. Ruane indicated he does want to build something sensitive to the neighborhood. 5 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes October 11, 2018 Page 3 of 3 Click on the link to view the video of the October 11, 2018 Historical Preservation Commission Meeting. http://plainfieldil.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=404 Commissioner Schmidt thanked Mr. Lambert for all the information he has provided the commission. Commissioner Schmidt explained why he is struggling with this case. Commissioner Hendericksen asked the applicant if he would be willing to follow the guidelines stated in in the demolition ordinance of what can be built there after the home is demolished. Mr. Ruane stated he disagrees and explained why. Mr. Proulx submitted that this type of case is more of a question of judgement based on the historic significance but if this home was located in a Historic District the commission would have more tools to use to make the decision. Mr. Proulx explained the options the commission has for possible motions. Pro Tem Chairwomen Olsen asked who will complete the Alternative Uses Analysis. Mr. Proulx stated the applicant is responsible to work with an architect or a consultant. Commissioner Hendricksen suggested the commission take a vote. Commissioner Rapp asked Commissioner Hendricksen if he wants to continue the case. Commissioner Hendricksen stated that he does not feel there is any more information that needs to be provided. Commissioner Schmidt made a motion to recommend to the Board of Trustees that an alternative uses analysis be required for this demolition request. Seconded by Commissioner Rapp. Vote by roll call: Hendericksen, yes; Hagen, no; Rapp, yes; Schmidt, no; Olsen, yes. Motion carried 3-2. Pro Tem Chairwomen Olsen made a motion to close the public hearing. Seconded by Commissioner Hendrickson. All in favor. 0 opposed. Motion carried 5-0. DISCUSSION ADJOURN Historic Preservation meeting adjourned at 8:16 p. m. Respectfully submitted, Tracey Erickson Recording Secretary 6 Agenda Item No: Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item Report Meeting Date: December 13, 2018 Submitted by: Tracey Erickson Submitting Department: Planning Department Item Type: New Business Item Agenda Section: Subject: Case No.: 1825-111518.HPC Request: Landmark Nomination Location: 24022 W. Lockport St. Applicant: Bill Beagle, Plymouth Congregational Church Suggested Action: Attachments: 24022 W. Lockport St. Staff Report.pdf Individual Landmark Nomination.pdf 7 MEMO TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: 1i111 fff;;;"0111-ii 11 •w ,·, ..-.., ·--,, 1j•1i='■1■:':1111la;. VILLAGE OF PLAINFIELD HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION KENDRA KUEHLEM, ASSOCIATE PLANNER DECEMBER 1tn1 , 2018 CASE No. 1825-111518.HPC Michael P. Collins PRES!UENT Michelle Gibas VILL\GE CLERK TRUSTEES Margie Bonuchi Bill Lamb Cally Larson Larry D. Newton Edward O'Rourke Brian Wojowski PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH-LANDMARK REQUEST: LOCATION: APPLICANT: ZONING: COMP. PLAN: DISCUSSION Landmark designation (Public Hearing) 24022 W. Lockport Street Bill Beagle, Plymouth Congregational Church B-5 Traditional Business District Office, Research, & Development The applicant is requesting landmark designation for the property located at 24022 W. Lockport Street, also known as the Plymouth Congregational Church. The site is currently located in the Downtown Historic District. Pursuant to the Village's landmark ordinance, due notice was published, and adjacent property owners were given written notice. LANDMARK APPLICATION ANALYSIS Property Ownership History-The site of the congregational church is a part of Levi Arnold's land addition to Plainfield (the southeast quarter of section 9). Daniel Chapman, a farmer and teacher from New York, enrolled as a congregationalist at Oberlin and was ordained in 1842. Chapman and his family made their way to central Illinois organizing the Illinois Central Association of Congregational Churches. In 1845, Chapman was offered a position to preach in Plainfield at log school shared with Methodists. In 1849 Chapman advocated that the congregational members consider building their own house of worship. Adah Royce sold a half-acre parcel to the Trustees of the Congregational Church where construction of the church began in 1850. Period of Significance-The period of significance is from 1850 to 1917 which reflects the period when Daniel Chapman encouraged the construction of a new church in 1850, and Reverend Arthur E.Beddoes advocating for and addition to the east side of the structure in 1906. Though the original building dates back to 1850, the earliest dates of the congregation were brought together in 1834. The subject structure has also had interior renovations and installation of a basement in 1940, expansion of the basement in 1966, spire reconstruction in 1973, and a west wing addition in 2002. 24401 W. Lockport Street Plainfield, IL 60544 Phone (815) 436-7093 Fax (815) 436-1950 Web www.plainfield-il.org 8 REPORT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page #2 of 3 1825-111518.HPC 12/11/2018 PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH LANDMARK Historic Structure Evaluation- The Plainfield Congregational Church was identified by the 2005 Historic Urban Survey as a contributing structure to a potential local district and landmark. The congregational church is also the oldest church building in Plainfield and Will County. (Design Manual, ARRIS Architects, 2002.) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE In accordance with the Historic Preservation article of the Zoning Ordinance (Article XV), Section 9-147, subsection (7), “the commission shall evaluate the property’s eligibility for landmarkdesignation based on its historic and/or architectural significance, the integrity of its design,workmanship, materials, location, setting and feeling, and the extent to which it meets one or moreof the criteria.” The Plymouth Congregational Church is nominated for designation as a local landmark in the Village of Plainfield under the following criteria: C.Is identified with a person or persons who significantly contributed to thedevelopment of the community, county, state, or nation; The subject property is identified with several significant figures who contributed toPlainfield history. This includes Levi Arnold (indirectly); Daniel Chapman, whopromoted the construction of a new meeting place; Isaac Foster, a minister afterChapman who later became known for his anti-slavery stance in California; andReverend Arthur E. Boddoes, who helped incorporate the tenets of the Akron Planinto the 1906 remodeling project, providing a more conducive space for SundaySchool. D.Embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable forthe study of a period, type method of construction, or use of indigenousmaterials; Greek Revival style of architecture was common in the eastern United States fromroughly 1820 through 1865. By 1830/1840, pioneers migrating westward across theU.S. first introduced the style, which promoted classical ideals and elements inspiredby ancient Greek temples. Illinois sparsely features Greek Revival architecture, while Plainfield has over 40 suchstructures. A detail to note is that the 1906 east wing addition and 2002 west wingaddition to the subject structure accurately match the style and detail of the originalbuilding detail from 1850. F.Embodies elements of design, detailing, materials, or craftsmanship that are ofarchitectural significance; The structure features stained-glass clerestory windows; gabled, low-pitch roofenclosed by massive trim; pilasters; a dominant, full-height, inset entry supported byprominent Ionic columns; and remaining building materials and foundation bead joints 9 REPORT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page #3 of 3 1825-111518.HPC 12/11/2018 PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH LANDMARK from the period of significance. These are defining characteristics of Greek Revival, in addition to the symmetrical balance of the structure (created by the 2002 addition). H. Has a unique location or physical characteristics that make it a familiar visual feature of the community; and The Greek Revival style is unique as it is the most prevalent style throughout the Village of Plainfield. The character-defining features of this style, such as the massive trim, Palladian windows, and ionic columns, provide a glimpse of the past and the role that religion had in the community. The 1973 steeple reconstruction also provides an unmistakable detail unique to the structure. L I. J. Is suitable for preservation or restoration. Staff finds that the site is suitable for preservation and landmark designation, in addition to the previously noted factors, due to the 2005 Historic Urban Survey identifying the property as a contributing structure to a local landmark and district. RECOMMENDATION Based on the information available prior to the public hearing and discussion by the HPC, staff believes the subject property qualifies for designation under the aforesaid mentioned criteria. Should the Commission concur, the following motion is offered for your consideration. I move we adopt the findings of fact of staff as the findings of fact of the Historic Preservation Commission and, furthermore, recommend approval of the landmark designation for the property known as the Plymouth Congregational Church, located at 24022 W. Lockport Street. 10 1 INDIVIDUAL LANDMARK NOMINATION Plainfield, Illinois Register of Historic Places Property Information Petitioner: Plymouth Congregational Church Historic/Other Name: Plainfield Congregational Church – 1850; 1906 (East Addition); 1940 (Interior); Plymouth Congregational Church – 1966 (Interior); 1973 (Spire); 2002 (West & North Addition) Property Address: 24022 W. Lockport (f/k/a 409 West Lockport Street), Plainfield, Illinois PIN: 06-03-09-408-019-0000 Legal Description of Property: Commencing 3.14 chains west of a point 30 feet North and 30 feet West of the Southeast corner of Section 9 in Township 36 North Range 9 East, run thence West 2 chains, thence North 2.50 chains, thence East 2 chains & thence South 2.50 chains to place of beginning, except the North 56’ thereof. Request: Village of Plainfield to consider designating the structure at 24022 W. Lockport Street, a local landmark. Oldest Operating Church Building in Plainfield and Will County Proposed Period of Significance: 1850 - 1917 (end of tenure of Rev. Arthur E. Beddoes) Character-defining Features: • Gabled, low-pitch roof • Dominant, full-height, inset entry, supported by prominent Ionic columns • Pilasters • Transom • Entrance Door Frame and details of trim • Palladian Windows • Entablature • Closed Pediments at gables • Window and Door Lintels (with “ears”) • Symmetry of 1850 Gable End Church (current symmetry of plan did not exist until 2002) • Remaining building materials from Period of Significance • Bead joints in foundation that dates to Period of Significance 11 2 Overview Though the Church has been expanded and modified, it is recognized as the oldest continually used Church in Will County. The Congregational Society purchased a one-half acre site in July 1849 for $40 from Adah Royce. The Greek Revival-styled building featured an imposing windowless south façade with butt-jointed wood siding to replicate stone and a recessed portico supported by Ionic columns flanking nearly nine-foot double doors with a hewn timber frame resting on a foundation of locally quarried limestone. Three multi- paned double-hung windows with shutters lined the east and west walls and a steeple that was an octagon stepped belfry with paired pilasters and a copper spire was added some years after the dedication. Of the building. Construction began during the Summer of 1850 and was completed in March 1851. In the 1906 remodeling project, the Church replaced its original siding with narrow wood siding with a portion of that original 1906 exterior clapboard siding now visible inside a west hallway after the 2002 addition. The centrally located entryway to the sanctuary is part of the original portion of the Church and this original section is also historically significant due to its use as an enlistment center at the beginning of the American Civil War. On Sunday, April 15, 1861, two days after the surrender of Fort Sumter, the Church opened its doors after morning services and began registering men – over 70 enlisted and within ten days the recruits were on their way to Cairo, Illinois, to be trained as part of Captain Edward McAllister’s 10th Illinois Infantry Regiment. In 1906 an east wing with narrow wood siding was added, a basement was excavated under the 1906 East addition in 1946 for Sunday School facilities, a fellowship hall and a kitchen. A re-creation of Churches’ tall spire was rebuilt in 1973 to match its original historic appearance though now clad with aluminum siding having been slightly damaged by lightning in October 1887; a west wing was added along with an addition on the north façade in 2002 which greatly expanded the building. The additions of 1906 and 2002 were done in a compatible Greek Revival style with classical pilasters and tall stained-glass windows. The 2002 north addition is not readily apparent from most of Lockport Street. Architecture The Greek Revival style is the largest architectural representation in the Village of Plainfield with over forty such structures. The quality of design and quantity of examples of this style in Plainfield is quite extraordinary. The occurrence of the Greek Revival style is uniquely significant in Plainfield, when one looks at the general lack of this style across the rest of communities in Illinois. The Greek Revival style was common in the United States from about 1820 to just after the end of the Civil War (1865), however examples in Illinois for the most part happened later here than in the eastern portion of the country. The Greek Revival style promoted the use of classical ideals and elements, and was inspired by archaeological excavations and drawings of ancient Greek temples. Carpenters in the eastern United States did much to popularize the style, so in the 1830s and 1840s pioneers migrating west introduced the style when building their new homes in the new states of the Northwest Territories. Many Greek Revival buildings in Plainfield exhibit the “Greek Revival influence” rather than being full high style examples. The Halfway House, or Plainfield House, and the Congregational Church are among the earliest examples of the style in the Village. 12 3 Plate 105 South Facade following the 1850 Construction This photograph, copied from a print publication following construction, gives an accurate glimpse of the simple Greek Revival architectural style that was popular in Plainfield at the time. Note that this photograph displays no fenestration on this South Facade. 13 4 Plate 106 Structure as it appears in 2018 This view of the South Facade shows both the 1906 East and 2002 West additions. Note the symmetry displayed here. Also see Plate 140 and Plate 170 to further emphasize the balance present in this facade. This view and Plate 165 were made at enough of a distance to be able to see the asphalt shingle roof. 14 5 Plate 112 Original Entrance on South Facade Much of this section is composed of materials from 1906. Along with a current view of the original entry and stairs to the building, this photograph shows the fenestration added after the 1906-07 construction was complete. See Plate 105 for comparison. Note the stained- glass three clerestory windows and the triple sash assembly in the gable fit perfectly into the Greek Revival architecture even though not in the original. Shallow roof pitch along with a dominant gable fascia and frieze are exactly correct for this structure. The eave line enclosing the gable along with a very wide and detailed belt line on the frieze below complete the upper portion of the entrance. The dominant feature in this view are the four pilasters mimicking columns, two massive classic fluted columns topped with Ionic capitals and the entry itself which reflects the closed gable and column and capital trim. 15 6 Plate 115 Entry Detail This view offers a perspective view of the entry described in the previous section. Note particularly the dental detail in the horizontal section of the closed gable. Note also the leaded glass in the doors and the stained-glass work in the clerestory window above. This view also clearly shows the massive nature of the columns base, shaft and capital. 16 7 Plate 120 Steeple The bell tower and dome shown in Plate 135 was replaced in 1973 with this near original appearing steeple however using synthetic materials – the bell tower and dome were added after the original spire was struck by lightning in October 1887. Note that the image shown in Plate 105 does not show a dome or a steeple – the spire was added a few years after the initial construction and Plate 135 shows the new bell tower and dome added during the 1906- 07 construction. 17 8 Plate 135 South Facade following the 1906 Construction Several details deserve note here: The dome on the belfry and the windows in the original entry facade. These modifications were made at the time of the East addition in 1906-07 18 9 Plate 140 South Facade of East Wing Three tall stained-glass windows, four column styled pilasters and highly massive trim highlight this view. The detailed horizontal element topping the pilaster styled columns is a direct extension of the material and design displayed on the original 1850 structure. 19 10 Plate 150 Junction of Original Structure and 1906 East Wing Of note in this view is the small window with very pronounced trim at its head. This view shows best the massive trim used throughout the structure. This window was added at the time of the 1906-07 addition. Also shown quite well in this photograph are the outside corner pilaster column on the original building and the inside corner pilaster column added during the1906-07 construction. These vertical elements display a massive symmetry, a primary hallmark of Greek Revival architecture. 20 11 Plate 152 Junction of Original Structure and East Wing On the left is the limestone foundation placed in 1850. On the far right is the perfectly matching foundation placed in 1906-07. This view also provides a detail of the drip edge and sill cover along the foundation line. This drip and sill system are present throughout the 1850 and 1906-07 construction. 21 12 Plate 160 East Facade of 1906-07 Addition The work done on the 1906-07 addition was an accurate and faithful replication of much of the original East Entry facade. Matching frieze, Gable detail, pilasters, door trim and the window above the door are direct and quite exact interpretations of the main entry. Two tall stained-glass windows match their mates on the south face of this addition. 22 13 Plate 162 South East corner of the 1906-07 East Wing This plate was included to show further the foundation detail. The materials on display here are original to the 1906-07 addition with the exception of the repair made to the bottom of the corner pilaster. 23 14 Plate 165 2002 West Addition The photograph presented here was made from a considerable distance and was included to show asphalt shingles and the roof line where the 2002 addition meets the original 1850 building. 24 15 Plate 170 East Facade of 2002 West Addition With 3 minor, however, notable exceptions, this 2002 addition perfectly mirrors the 1906-07 addition. (exceptions described in the following two plates) 25 16 Plate 172 2002 West Addition meets 1850 Original Structure Two of the exceptions noted in the previous plate are on display here. The foundation of this addition is poured concrete and the drip edge are in a different scale from those on the original. Secretary of the Interior Standards as laid out for modifications to historic structures, state “that an addition to an historic structure should not offer a perfect match, rather a subtle change in the materials used in the new construction is the rule.” The architect for this 2002 addition may well have been aware of this stipulation. 26 17 Plate 180 2002 West Addition meets 1850 Original Structure The third exception mentioned in Plate 170 is the column styled pilaster present in this view. This inside corner pilaster is of notably different scale that its opposite on the East addition (reference Plate 150). Again, the change in scale of element meets the Secretary of the Interior Standards as laid out for modifications to historic structures. The changes highlighted in this plate and the previous plate may well have been knowingly made. 27 18 Plate 190 West Facade South Portion of 2002 Addition The work done on the 2002 addition was an accurate and faithful replication of much of the original East Entry facade as well as well the 1906-07 addition. Matching frieze, Gable detail, pilasters, door trim and the window above the door are direct and quite exact interpretations of previous implementations. An exception to the 1906-07 addition is a window trimmed in identical location and fashion to the door on the east addition. 28 19 Plate 222 North Portion of the 2002 Addition showing the West and North Facades This view of the most recent addition shows the same attention to detail as described in all the previous descriptions of the 2002 addition as well as those incorporated in the addition of 1906-07. Eave lines extend across gable ends to form a pleasing and authentic Greek Revival appearance and tall heavily trimmed windows mirror perfectly the foregoing descriptions. Siding materials, column inspired pilasters, large frieze and gable vent penetrations complete a consistent and eye pleasing presentation. To the eye the whole package flows smoothly with no perceived interruption. Consideration to modernity in this facade is a handicapped ramp, however closely following the original floor level helps to minimize the ramp’s appearance. 29 20 Plate 225 North East Corner Showing 1906 and 2002 Detail This image of the East face of the 2002 addition incorporates a wide frieze, box column trimmed to follow much of the foregoing. The windows and doors in this east face make a small nod to modernity while offering a well-lighted northeast entranceway. In conclusion this structure has been well loved and maintained throughout the many years that it has served the Plainfield public. The congregation deserves a large applause for their efforts on behalf of this historic church building. 30 21 Early History of Plainfield Revolutionary War land bounty land warrants were first awarded through an Act of Congress on September 16, 1776. These were grants of free land from Congress or states like Virginia who claimed lands west of the Appalachian Mountains in areas that would later become the states of Ohio and Kentucky as a reward for serving in the Continental Army during the American Revolution or the War of 1812. The grants were not automatic as veterans had to apply for them and if granted, use the warrant to apply for a land patent which granted them ownership of the land that could be transferred or sold to other individuals. Land warrants issued by Congress were usually for the newly established lands created by the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted on May 20, 1785 by the Continental Congress and set the stage for an organized and community-based westward expansion in the United States in the years after the American Revolution. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was the effort of a five-person committee led by Thomas Jefferson and established a systematic and ubiquitous process for surveying, planning, and selling townships on the western frontier. Each western township contained six square miles of land which was further divided in thirty-six lots or sections, each containing one square mile or 640 acres. The sections were numbered starting at 1 in the northeast and running east to west in each tier to 36 in the southeast. This mathematical precision of planning was through the concerted efforts of surveyors which allowed these sections to be easily subdivided for re- sale by settlers and land speculators Each township contained dedicated space for public education and other government uses, as the centermost of the 36 sections were reserved for government or public purposes - Sections 15, 16, 21 and 22, with Section 16 dedicated specifically to public education. The area from which Plainfield developed was first inhabited by the Potawatomie Indians. The Potawatomie hunted the dense forests along the banks of the DuPage River and had some semi-permanent settlements. The first Europeans arriving in the area were French fur traders in the 1820s who traded peacefully with the Potawatomie but did not establish any permanent settlements. When Illinois achieved statehood in 1818 most of the territory was wilderness and the occasional explorers, soldiers on marches to distant outposts, as well as Native American traders and trappers, had given glowing descriptions of the beauties of this region. The Illinois and Michigan Canal project had been conceived during the War of 1812 which prompted the initial purchases of Native Americans lands commencing in 1816. By about 1826, American missionaries began to arrive to Christianize the Native Americans and establish permanent settlements. As was the case in most of the newly established towns and villages of the Northwest Territories, once the pioneer families had built their houses and established businesses, places of worship and schools for their children were soon to follow. Along with the occasional pioneers who ventured into the lands covered by the Northwest Ordinance came several early Methodist missionaries. One of these early Methodist missionaries was The Reverend Jessie Walker who came to the area before statehood. Walker had been born in Virginia and first visited the Indiana territory in 1806 and later was appointed to the circuit in Illinois and likely introduced his son-in-law, James Walker, to the region. In 1828, James Walker led a party that established a new settlement known as Walker’s Grove and built a sawmill that soon thrived in the midst of the thick forests along the DuPage River just south of present-day Plainfield. The DuPage River also provided essential transportation between the settlements at Fort Dearborn at Lake Michigan (now Chicago) and Ottawa along the Illinois River. Walker's Grove was an important link along this water and trail route. Walker's sawmill and the area's timber supplied the fast-growing settlement of Chicago with lumber to build their first wood-framed houses. It has been documented that the lumber used to build the first balloon-framed structures in Chicago were 31 22 hauled by wagons built in Plainfield by John Bill and driven by Reuben Flagg and Timothy Clark from Walker's Mill. These first two buildings, the George Washington Dole Forwarding House and the Philip Ferdinand Wheeler Peck House, a two-story frame building in which Peck kept a store at southeast corner of South Water and LaSalle Streets were built in the Autumn of 1832. Walker's Grove was also reportedly the first permanent European settlement in Will County. In 1828, Chester Ingersoll traveled from his home in Vermont to northeast Illinois and settled at the Walkers’ Grove settlement and four years later, joined with others to defend Fort Beggs and later opened one of the first hotels in Chicago. In October 1833, Ingersoll purchased 160 acres of land in the NE ¼ of Section 16 and in December of 1833, married a young actress, Phebe Wever in Chicago and together they ran the Traveler Hotel until 1834. Ingersoll platted a town in August 1834, northeast of Walkers’ Grove, naming it Planefield. Ingersoll’s new town consisted of twelve nearly square blocks and Block 13 with twenty-seven rectangular lots facing Ottawa Street stretching east from the DuPage River to West Street (now known as Division Street) on a modified grid plan that would be familiar to many of those newly arriving pioneer families from the states in New England. Ingersoll’s east-west streets were named for the three main towns in Northeastern Illinois at the time - Ottawa, Chicago and Lockport - while his north-south streets were named for the region’s rivers – Illinois, DesPlaines, Fox River, Kankakee and DuPage. He envisioned a public square to become his central business district that would be centered about the northern half of Block 3 with DesPlaines Street to the east and Fox River Street to the west along the proposed east-west thoroughfare to be built on the section line where Sections 16 and 9 met which would initially be called DuPage Street that was later changed to Lockport Road. (Exhibit A - Ingersoll’s 1834 Plat of Planefield). Chester Ingersoll built a house for his family on an open tract of land that was south of Lot 26 in Block 13 of his newly platted town; this house was recently restored and designated a Village Landmark in September 2013. In October 1837, Ingersoll’s oldest daughter, Melissa married Thomas Jefferson York and soon thereafter, Ingersoll built them a small cottage west of his house. The location of this house was south of Lot 25 in Block 13 and was designated a Village landmark known as “Pioneer House” in 2008. In May 1837, Ingersoll recorded an addition to his original town plat comprising of twelve additional blocks – 6 blocks on either side of a new east-west street, named Juliet. Thus Ingersoll’s 1834 house was located on Lot 2 and the house built for his daughter was built on Lot 3 in Block 1 of Ingersoll’s Addition to Plainfield (Exhibit B – Ingersoll’s 1837 Addition to Plainfield) Levi Arnold, a bachelor, likely traveled to the settlement around Walker’s Grove in late 1831 or 1832 in the company of the family of James and Sarah Mathers, who he had met in the area of St. Joseph, Indiana. He staked claims in the area near the DuPage River and in present-day Kendall County before returning to St. Joseph, Indiana to marry Maria Skinner on August 6, 1833. Sometime in early 1834, Levi Arnold and his wife Maria arrived from Indiana and purchased the quarter section of land north of Ingersoll’s newly platted town – the SE ¼ of Section 9 on December 11. Arnold was particularly interested in land adjacent to the DuPage River and parcels that straddled the Chicago to Ottawa Road. In January 1834, stagecoach service had been established between Chicago and Ottawa by Dr. John C. Temple of Chicago on the Chicago and Ottawa Trail which later became known as Main Street. Temple had political connections that allowed him to secure a United States mail contract in 1833 for the seventy-mile route between Chicago and Ottawa and in January 1834, he secured money to establish a stagecoach with the necessary way stations along the same route. Arnold befriended Temple and indicated that he would build a small one and one-half story wood-framed tavern/inn and provide a stable to hold the teams of horses that pulled the coaches along the Chicago-Ottawa 32 23 Road. The inn provided lodging for overnight guests as well as living quarters for Arnold’s family. It was understood that the establishment of a federal post office would be a windfall for any pioneer settlement increasing its importance which would help land values to rise. In 1834 Arnold’s inn secured the first government franchised post office in what eventually became Will County (1836), with James Walker serving as its first postmaster. Nonetheless, a compact business and industrial district formed in Arnold’s Addition along Main Street (the Chicago-Ottawa Road) west of present-day Division Street (Route 59). Unlike Ingersoll who preferred orderly development as shown in his 1834 Plat of Planefield, Arnold soon laid out four streets in his addition and allowed pioneer families to build homes and businesses on his land but often chose not to sell the land to them which allowed the creation of many irregular and disorganized lots in shape and size. He did not embrace Ingersoll’s concept of a New England town square - since a portion of Block 4 in his corresponding addition would be needed to join Ingersoll’s planned segment. By 1835 Ingersoll had abandoned his public square concept and created a public park in Block 10 of his original plat, that came to be known as the Village Green, which was immediately south of his failed public square and soon would be surrounded by residential housing. Downtown Commercial Development The first recorded sale of land in Ingersoll’s portion of Plainfield fronting onto the East-West road that would eventually become Lockport Road took place in May 1836. Soon Levi Arnold allowed pioneer families to build homes and businesses on his land however he did not always sell the land to them, but instead continued to own the land with the lots becoming irregular in shape and size. The difference in development styles frustrated Ingersoll’s sense of order and has led local historians to record that Ingersoll and Arnold were “at loggerheads” regarding the development of the burgeoning community which likely pushed Arnold to cultivate a new friendship with Lewis Judson and together in 1835, they started a new town on the east bank of the Fox River called Hudson. Initially the new town which was located ten miles northwest of Plainfield, attracted few settlers and in the Spring of 1836, Levi Arnold moved his family to Hudson renting his Plainfield home on the Chicago to Ottawa Road, later becoming known as Main Street to Dr. Erastus G. Wight. In 1840, as the family of Chester and Phebe Ingersoll grew, they moved from the village north to a farm in Wheatland Township and within three years were living on a farm near Lockport. In 1847 Ingersoll along with members of his family and numerous families from the area left Illinois and moved to the West to settle in California where Ingersoll died in September 1849. Arnold’s town of Hudson changed its name to Lodi for a short time and soon settled on its current name of Oswego. In 1844 Levi Arnold took sick and died in September at the age of 37. His wife Mariah, who was 32 with three young daughters had her late husband’s holdings in Plainfield surveyed which was completed by the following September (1845) and she began selling the remaining lots in the area that came to be called “Arnold’s Addition to the Village of Plainfield.” (Exhibit C – Arnold’s Addition to Plainfield) Simultaneous to efforts of Ingersoll and Arnold, a third distinct community began to develop. In November 1834, James Mathers and James M. Turner purchased a quarter section of land in the SW ¼ of Section 10 that was east of Arnold’s development. In June 1836, James Mathers purchased Turner’s half share and in July 1836, platted East Plainfield which was comprised of 96 lots along Main Street and Water Street (which is now Plainfield-Naperville Road), that paralleled the DuPage River on which Mathers constructed a sawmill and gristmill. Mathers also built himself a house in 1835 at the northeast corner of Mill and Water Streets (which is now Plainfield-Naperville Road) east of his sawmill and gristmill. The lands located south of Main Street, east of West Street (now Division) and north of Lockport Street was originally designated as Mather’s 33 24 Farm and his partner James Turner built a small cottage for his family in the southeast portion of Section 10 - that house is located at the northeast corner of Lockport Street and Eastern Avenue. Within a short time, businesses spread randomly throughout Ingersoll’s Plainfield with a concentration of restaurants, blacksmiths, liveries and hotels along DesPlaines Street where it intersected with the east-west roadway known as DuPage Street – this separated the two communities begun by Arnold and Ingersoll. With the construction of commercial buildings on numerous lots along the roadway in the 1840s, many buildings were moved from other sites in Plainfield and were set on every other lot so that the infill buildings only required two walls, a floor, and a roof. Once this road was completed, it not only reached eastward 6 miles to the canal port at Lockport which in 1848 saw the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal - it also carried travelers going between the canal docks at Lockport and the accelerating farm settlements west of Plainfield and the DuPage River that contributed significantly to Plainfield’s growth after 1850 from this increased migration. In February 1841, Arnold sold to Elihu Springer, the minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a 1¼ acre parcel where the congregation planned to construct their house of worship. This parcel was located in the western half of Block 6 between Chicago Street (now DesPlaines Street) on the west, Arnold Street (now Illinois Street) on the east and the diagonal Oak Street on the north. Beginning in January 1850 the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church began selling their lots in the western portion of Block 6 in favor of buying the lots in the eastern portion of Block 6. By May 1850 the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church had purchased the eastern half of Block 6 or that portion of the block that would become known as Chittenden & Smiley’s subdivision after the Assessor had subdivided the area in 1866 [Exhibit D – Chittenden & Smiley’s subdivision]. After this parcel was surveyed in 1867, the lots therein became designated as Lots 16 – 24. Subsequent contracts sold lots along what would eventually become Lockport Road and had the stipulation that the “South 30 feet is reserved for a road running East-West” [See Exhibit C]. By 1849 the only centralized commercial and industrial center in Plainfield that had formed was located about the intersection of present-day Joliet Road, Division Street, and Commercial Street. Kankakee Street was renamed James Street, in honor of James Fairbanks, who created Fairbanks’ Addition along the street bearing his name in 1853 and DuPage Street adjacent to the DuPage River had been abandoned. Unfortunately, no formal adoption of street names existed between the Ingersoll and Arnold sides of the village. In fact, names of streets changed—typically—at DuPage Street (now Lockport Street) which divided the two sides of the village. A residential neighborhood grew around the Village Green in Ingersoll’s original part of Plainfield. The southeastern part of the Village or the NW ¼ of Section 15 was the last portion of the Village to be developed. In December 1834 Robert Chapman purchased 280 acres in NE ¼ & N ½ of the NW ¼ of Sec. 15 & S ½ of the NW ¼ of Sec. 15 and in July 1838 sold all of his holdings “excepting & reserving from the SW corner of the S ½ of the S ½ of said NW ¼ of Sec. 15,” a 2 ½ Acre parcel from the SW corner or 20 square rods to be used as a cemetery that Chapman donated to the residents in the Spring of 1837. In 1840, Dr. Oliver J. Corbin bought a 12-acre parcel south of Joliet Road and in 1845 sold a small 3 lot triangular parcel of land to John Dillman to build a foundry, creating Plainfield’s first industrial park in what would become O.J. Corbin’s Subdivision in 1856. In 1852, a 40 acre parcel was purchased by Elihu Corbin who would have the land subdivided into an addition to Plainfield as well as several subdivisions ((Exhibit E – Elihu Corbin’s Addition). By 1855, all of the holdings of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the western portion of Block 6 had been sold and replaced with those lots in the eastern half of Block 6. As the economy began growing after the conclusion of the Civil War, the Trustees of the Church saw an opportunity to sell their lots and build a new 34 25 house of worship one block south of the noise and expanding traffic artery of Lockport Street. In October 1866, the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church purchased Lots 10 and 11 in Block 2, at the northwest corner of Illinois and Chicago Streets in Ingersoll’s Original Plainfield from Limon and Leah Tobias for $350. They sold their parcels of land along the north side of Lockport Street and west of Arnold Street (now Illinois Street) in March 1867 to James H. Smiley and George N. Chittenden once their new place of worship had been completed. Commercial development was scattered in each quadrant of the village, but soon began to concentrate along either side of the east-west DuPage Street or what later became known as “the Lockport Road” which occupied the area where Section 16 of Ingersoll’s Original Plainfield and Section 9 of Arnold’s Addition met. Plainfield’s commercial and residential development became concentrated in portions of the four quarter sections of prairie lands along or near to the DuPage River that made up the Village with a North-South roadway (West St. or Division) and an East-West Roadway (Lockport Road) created along the division lines of Sections 9, 10, 15 and 16: 1. Chester Ingersoll’s - NE ¼ of Sec. 16 (1833), 2. Levi Arnold’s - SE ¼ of Sec. 9 (1834), 3. James Mathers’ - SW ¼ of Sec. 10 (1835), and 4. Elihu Corbin’s - NW ¼ of Sec. 15 (1852). By 1869, the northern and southern portions of Plainfield were incorporated into a single community and by the 1870s, DuPage Street became commonly known as Lockport Street. Site On March 10, 1840, Levi Arnold sold a five-acre parcel to Chester Bennett for $300. This was the first recorded sale of land in Arnold’s portion of Plainfield along the East-West road that initially was called DuPage Street but later became known as Lockport Road. Chester Bennett obtained a mortgage in the amount of $300 from Miles Royce using the parcel as collateral and in April 1840 sold the entire parcel to Miles Royce for $450. In May 1841, Miles sold this five-acre parcel which covered the land in Arnold’s Block 6 that the Assessor in 1867 would subdivide into Lots 2 – 14, the eastern two-thirds of Chittenden & Smiley’s corner plus the North-South street that would become Arnold Street that was later renamed Illinois Street (See Exhibit D - Adah Royce’s Addition) and Lots 4 and 5 in East Plainfield that fronted the east side of West Street now known as Division St. or Illinois Route 59 to his sister Adah Royce. These lots that fronted Lockport Street, Arnold, later Illinois Street and Division became known as Royce’s (Adah) Addition or the “Church Addition,” since the Congregational (1850) and Universalist (1868) Churches would be built along Lockport Street and east of Arnold Street (now known as Illinois Street). The Levi Arnold Connection Levi Arnold was born in Pennsylvania in May 1804 and moved to White Pigeon in the Michigan Territory in 1825 where he met James and Sarah Mathers. In 1828 the Mathers’ moved to Indiana and Levi Arnold traveled with them and this he met Mariah Skinner in Elkhart, Indiana. By 1829 he was back living in St. Joseph County, Michigan where he was enumerated in the 1829 Michigan Census. Once again, he traveled from Indiana with the Mathers to the settlement at Walker’s Grove and eventually returned to St. Joseph, Indiana, marrying Mariah Skinner on August 6, 1833. They moved west to Illinois sometime in early 1834 arriving before the birth of their first child, Harriet, who was born in Plainfield on July 12, 1834. 35 26 On December 11, Arnold purchased 160 acres of land in the Southeast Quarter of Section 9 along the DuPage River which was immediately north and adjacent of Chester Ingersoll’s newly platted village of Plainfield. Before the end of the year Levi opened a tavern that later became known as Halfway House – located halfway between Chicago and Ottawa on the Chicago-Ottawa Road. West and near to his tavern, he built several barns with the capacity of 100 horses to accommodate the changing of stagecoach teams that would stop in Plainfield along the Chicago to Ottawa Road. Arnold was appointed Plainfield’s first postmaster in 1834 which he relinquished in January 1837 after relocating to Hudson (now Oswego). In 1835 Arnold and Lewis Judson laid out the new settlement of Hudson at the shallow ford on the east bank of the Fox River just above the mouth of Waubonsie Creek. In the Spring of 1836 shortly after the birth of their second child, Lydia on March 19, Levi Arnold moved his family ten miles northwest of Plainfield to Hudson and leased his tavern in Plainfield to Dr. Erastus G. Wight. The settlement of Hudson changed its name to Lodi and on January 24, 1837, Arnold was appointed its Postmaster. On July 31, 1838 after the residents of Lodi decided to rename their community, Oswego, Arnold was re-appointed Postmaster. In September 1844 Levi Arnold died at the age of 37 after a brief illness. Having to raise four young children, his wife had her husband’s holdings in Plainfield surveyed and in September 1845 began selling all of their parcels in the section of Plainfield that would become known as Arnold’s Addition to Plainfield. The Plats of Survey revealed many irregular lot configurations with long legal descriptions since many structures had been built on un-surveyed lots. The Congregational Way The Plainfield Congregational Church was organized in September 1834 by Reverend N. C. Clark, a missionary preaching in the area of Walkers Grove as early as 1832/1833. The early congregation consisted of four families – Andrew and Angela Carrier from Vermont, Ezra and Martha Goodhue from New Hampshire, Oliver and Hannah Goss from Vermont, and James and Sarah Mathers from New York. The first regular pastor of the Plainfield Congregational Church was Reverend Alfred Greenwood who first preached in Lockport Township for about a year. Reverend Greenwood presided in Lockport Township for about a year before coming to Plainfield. A resolution appeared in the early Plainfield church records requiring members “to abstain from drinking ardent spirits, manufacturing, trafficking in it or otherwise using it, except for medicine.” The first case of discipline was that of a brother reported having sold whiskey to the Indians. During its first two years, the Church did little more than maintain its existence and suffered much trouble from its members, growing out of “conflicting land claims.” A Council was finally called to aid in settling these difficulties. As the course most likely to bring peace and harmony and agreeable to the advice of the Council, the Congregational Church was disbanded in 1835. In early 1836 Reverend Greenwood resigned and out of its elements, the members of the Church re-organized under the Presbyterian form of government and were led by their new minister, Reverend Gould. This organizational government form continued for about seven years when on March 14, 1843, the fourteen members voted unanimously to return to the Congregational organization under the pastorship of Reverend E. W. Champlin. Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches in the Reformed tradition practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs and believe their model of church governance fulfills the description of the early church and allows people the most direct relationship with God. Thus, Congregationalism speaks of a form of church government - “Episcopal” church government is rule by bishops, “Presbyterian” church government is rule by elders, and “congregational” church government is rule by the congregation. Episcopal government 36 27 usually includes a hierarchy over the local church, and Presbyterian government sometimes does as well. Congregational government nearly always avoids such hierarchy, maintaining that the local church is answerable directly to God, not some man or organization. Many Congregational churches can trace their history back to non-conforming Protestants, Puritans, Separatists, Independents, English religious groups coming out of the English Civil War, and other English dissenters not satisfied with the degree to which the Church of England had been reformed. Congregationalism in the United States traced its origins to the Puritans of New England, who wrote the Cambridge Platform of 1648 to describe the autonomy of the church and its association with others. Within the United States, the model of Congregational churches was carried by migrating settlers from New England into New York, then into the new Northwest Territories between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River and later into the West. With their insistence on independent local bodies, they became important in many social reform movements, including abolitionism, temperance and women’s suffrage. These reformers advocated a return to the simplicity and sincerity they saw described in the New Testament Church, which Congregationalists believe is fulfilled in the congregationalist model of church governance. The Congregational churches eventually merged with the Christian churches, which had separated from the Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This new group maintained the congregational form of government and with a strong emphasis on the autonomy of the local church, tolerance of doctrinal variations was essential. The Daniel Chapman Era Daniel Chapman was born on December 29, 1806, the second son of Noah and Annie (Tabor) Chapman who were practicing Methodists and lived in Jefferson, New York which was about forty miles west of Albany. His parents were from Connecticut and had three additional children – Abraham (1805 – 1844), Susanna (1809 – 1871) and Elias (1813 – 1889). In 1812 his parents moved the family to Cayuga County, New York some eighty miles west of Jefferson and in the Spring of 1814 their mother died, and their father passed away in 1815. The four children were originally placed into the home of the Reverend Theodore L. Cuyler in early 1816 and in April 1816, after Daniel turned nine he went to live with the Benjamin Avery family of Scipio, New York. Daniel attended the District School for twelve weeks in each winter studying reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic until he turned nineteen. In his autobiography Daniel stated that he excelled among all the students especially in writing and spelling and though grammar was unpopular for boys nevertheless his older brother Abraham who lived in the same school district and he studied grammar four weeks during each term. Mr. Avery treated him as one of his own children and on his twenty-first birthday, gave him fifty dollars and was employed by Mr. Avery at ten dollars a month and eleven dollars a month during the summer. In the summer of 1828, Daniel and Abraham purchased a 100-acre farm in Bethany, New York which was cleared of all trees by the Spring of 1829. During the Winter of 1830-31, Daniel taught in the District School near their farm for ten dollars a month and returned in the Spring 1831 deciding to make farming his permanent occupation. During the next winter he taught at a more advanced school and discovered he needed more learning to qualify to teach in the best District School. In the Spring and Summer of 1832, he attended Bethany Seminary and in 1833 taught English at the Bethany Seminary. In the Fall of 1834 Daniel sold his half interest in the farm to his brother. In July 1836, Daniel enrolled as a Congregationalist at Oberlin, which was called the Oberlin Collegiate Institute and through the Summer of 1837, Daniel was enrolled in the “Short Course.” At the time he entered 37 28 Oberlin, it was one of few colleges that did not suppress anti-slavery discussions nor abolitionist teachers and students. Students and faculty were involved in frequent anti-slavery sermons, lectures, and literary society debates. The Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society was formed in 1835 with 230 members and Daniel Chapman’s name appeared on the membership list after enrolling in 1836. The purpose of the society was to promote emancipation by persuasion of slavery supporters through religious revival. In 1839, Daniel received an A.B. degree from Oberlin; during the winter of 1839-40 Daniel gave anti-slavery lectures throughout northern Indiana, preached at Mumfordsville, NY during the winter of 1840-41 and preached in Erie County, Pennsylvania dung the winter of 1841-42. On August 23, 1842 Daniel was ordained at Oberlin and eight days later married 32-year-old Jane Abby Parker from Cayuga County, New York. They visited friends and family throughout New York and stayed a few days with Daniel’s oldest brother Abraham and his wife before leaving by horse and buggy to Illinois on October 3 – this would be the last time that he would see his brother since he passed in March 1844 at the age of 39. After stopping at Oberlin for three or four days, they reached Illinois on the last day of October and located at a church at Pleasant Grove in Tazewell County which was about 8 miles south of Peoria. It had been only a scant five years since the financial Panic of 1837; the population of Illinois numbered less than a half million and the State debt was heavy so work on the Illinois and Michigan Canal had been suspended. The church pledged him $250 with only a fourth of that amount being in money. On June 12, 1843, their daughter Martha Jane was born in Pleasant Grove. Sometime after the birth of his daughter in the summer of 1843, Daniel Chapman along with a half dozen or so Congregational ministers helped to organize the Illinois Central Association of Congregational Churches. Many of the ministers in Illinois were Oberlin graduates and though well-educated, intensely religious, earnestly devoted to their work and bringing their Eastern-bred wives to share the privations of frontier life, these Oberlin men found the odds heaped high against them in Illinois. A large percentage of settlers in Illinois from 1818 to 1850 were land-buying colonists from the Northeast who brought with them their Congregational beliefs and traditions. The Oberlin men had been trained in abolitionism and once in Illinois they initially found the need to re-orient themselves to the prevailing winds, since many Illinois Congregationalists were uncomfortable with these fervent abolitionist pastors since many believed it broke from Congregational doctrine. It was dangerous to preach unadulterated Oberlinism since the American Home Missionary Society refused to re-commission Oberlin men. The American Home Missionary Society was formed in 1826 by the Congregational, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed and Associate Reformed Churches to financially assist congregations on the American frontier until they could become self-sufficient. During its history the Society assumed a “noninterference” position on the great social issue of slavery, since many of its large contributors from the South were slaveholders. Later, growing pressures from the North, where the Society received most of its financial backing, finally forced an official anti-slavery position in 1857. The American Missionary Association (AMA) was a Christian educational organization founded on September 3, 1846 in Albany, New York through the anti-slavery coalition of the United Missionary Society, the Committee for West Indian Missions and the Western Evangelical Missionary Society. The organization was born amid the protests of Christian abolitionists critical of the refusal of American churches and benevolent societies to adopt and act on all abolitionist principles. The AMA was an ardently anti-slavery organization to support churches in the developing West of the United States and missions around the world. During the period February through April 1844, Daniel Chapman along with Rev. Levi Spencer of Bloomington, Illinois formerly of Warsaw, New York which is where Daniel Chapman was first introduced to him, held a series of meetings in Fulton County, Illinois. Daniel Chapman organized a church at the small 38 29 community of Bernadotte (1826) which was located on Spoon River. During the summer of 1844, Chapman moved his family to Canton, Illinois where he preached three-fourths of the time and one-fourth of the time at the church he had organized at Bernadotte, which was 25 miles southwest of Canton. Chapman was elected the chairman of the convention that first organized the General Congregational Association of Illinois which passed and adopted resolutions that strongly condemned slavery. In the 1840 and 1844 Presidential election, the Liberty Party was created by a strong influence of Oberlinites that advocated the abolitionist cause since neither the Republican nor Democrat candidates would take a stand on this volatile issue. James G. Birney of Kentucky was the party’s nominee for both elections. In his autobiography, Chapman said that neither national party could be trusted on the slavery issue and that Oberlin-educated pastors should also take a stand on temperance. Chapman was concerned that his anti- slavery stance had to be tempered since he made his living from those parishioners in central Illinois, many of whom were southern-born and one year in a place was enough. In the Spring of 1845, Chapman visited Geneseo for the first time where their pastor Reverend Jarius Wilcox was visiting his family in the East. Reverend Jarius Wilcox had been Daniel’s old pastor when he was living in Bethany in Genesee County, New York. He was asked to spend several Sabbaths preaching and visiting parishioners. Later that summer he was offered a position to preach half the time in Plainfield in Will County and half the time in Naperville, some 14 miles away for a yearly stipend of $350. The two churches agreed to send teams to Canton to bring their goods to the area. He traveled back to Canton to bring his family to the area and received word that the Naperville church decided not to employ him. Thus, he would only receive a salary of $175 per year and half of his moving expenses. [In 1851, the Daniel learned that the reason that Naperville did not employ him was because he “was one of the early graduates of Oberlin College and its Theological Department]. The Congregationalists and Methodists shared a meeting space near the corner where Division Street and Joliet Road converged at a log school about fourteen feet square containing a single door and two windows -the floor was of hand-hewn rough planks with benches of split logs and a large fireplace was situated at one end. This had become the center of community activities for many of the early settlers of Plainfield. It was used by both for religious services when needed, five days a week for school and weekends for community events. On alternate Sabbaths, Chapman would go out about seven miles and preach in private homes without any promise of payment. In his autobiography, Chapman related that in this section of northeast Illinois, the majority of residents had previously arrived from New England, the mid-Atlantic states and the Ohio valley with a liberal sprinkling of anti-slavery views since this area was within the bounds of the Fox River Congregational Union – an ecclesiastical organization of Congregational Churches and ministers. By 1842 the area included at least eighteen Congregational churches in and near Plainfield - “Most of the ministers were opposed to Oberlin men, and I did not offer myself for membership. I generally attended their meetings but took no part unless requested.” After preaching in Plainfield and the surrounding area, Chapman began drawing plans to build his family a house during his leisure time. He shared his plans with his wife, but she ridiculed the idea of building a house and supporting a family on a salary of $150. Daniel found it almost impossible to rent a place for his family except on the condition that it must be vacated should the owner of the property sell it, since families were constantly coming in to Plainfield and all the old houses were sold off. On a salary of $150 in 1846 and no other property but a horse, buggy and a cow, Daniel purchased a 10 acre on March 11, 1847, from Oliver S. Goss, a member of the Congregational Church for $120 [See Legal Description in Exhibit F]. 39 30 The site of Chapman’s parcel was a short buggy ride south of the meeting place. In June 1848 his wife gave birth to their son Edgar Avery Chapman. In his spare time, Daniel secured all the stones he needed for the cellar and foundation and by the winter of 1848 had finished a horse shed to house the horse a neighbor had given him and by the autumn of 1849 he had partially finished “a good house, not large but comfortable.” By the next year he had erected a horse barn on the property and between the time that he was preaching in Plainfield and constructing his house, he was invited to preach some 10 miles west in Kendall County where he eventually organized a mission church that later became known as the Chapman Church where he preached for about four years. By the time the Congregational Church was dedicated in January 1851, his wife Jane A. Parker Chapman noted in her diary that the house was finished and “very comfortable.” Daniel Chapman in his autobiography included his correspondence with the American Missionary Association from 1848 to 1873. It includes church reports during the times he received support from the AMA as well as requests for the American Missionary, notes accompanying church contributions, and frequent personal reflections. On May 3, 1848 Daniel Chapman in a letter to Lewis Tappan, one of the founders and treasurer of the AMA – “I have been preaching in this state (IL) about six years, three of which I have spent in this place (Plainfield). I am preaching to a Congregational Church here which numbers about 60. We have never done anything for Home or Foreign Missionary causes – we are anti-slavery and therefore, cannot pour our pittance into that channel…... As stated earlier, after serving as a half-time pastorate for three years in Plainfield, Chapman advocated that the members consider building a house of worship for themselves. On July 13, 1849, Plainfield resident Adah Royce sold a half acre parcel of land to the Trustees of the Congregational Church for forty dollars. At the time of the sale the parcel was located in what was then known as Royce’s Addition. Commencing 3.14 chains West of a corner 30’ North and 30’ West of the SE corner of Sec. 9 in Twp. 36 N Range 9 E, running thence West 2 chains, thence North 2.50 chains, thence East 2 chains, thence South 2.50 chains to place of beginning, containing ½ A. According to Chapman’s autobiography, he was instrumental in the planning and building of the Church. Construction began in the Spring of 1850 and the building was dedicated on January 15, 1851 – “we got up a very neat, tasty sanctuary. I put a $140 in this house besides considerable time”. On March 13, 1851 in a letter to Rev. George Whipple of the AMA asking for a donation $75: Plainfield is in a delightful portion of Illinois about 36 miles southwest of Chicago. The location is healthy – the Church is mostly a farming community – some mechanics in town. The Church numbers 78, thirteen of whom are so far removed from us, that no pecuniary amount is received from them. Several of our church are young persons and connected with families from whom no pecuniary help is obtained – a few others are too poor to do anything and none in the church are by any means rich. The subscription embraces many names and ranges from one to twenty dollars. I think I can safely set down the congregation at two hundred since I have but just begun preaching here every Sabbath and cannot speak so positively as when the going is a little more settled. At the intermission we have a Sabbath School, which with the Bible class numbers nearly or quite a hundred. There is in the village a good Methodist house of 40 31 worship with a pretty large congregation; a respectable Baptist house with a much less congregation than either of the others – the Methodist society is some larger than ours. On the 14th of January, last our new house of worship was dedicated. This was built at a good deal of sacrificing by the church and cost furnishing, land and all somewhere about $2,350. Just now this burden bears heavily on this little church, individuals in it having advanced money which they hired to pay the builders. They hold notes for recently sold slips, most of which are to be paid in the course of 18 months. Nearly enough slips have been sold to cover the expense of building and when all these notes are paid up will greatly relieve the church. These notes are not against church members. The church and congregation are exceedingly anxious to have preaching all the time, hitherto having enjoyed it but half the time. The church has by pledged me $300 including the $75 they hope to obtain from your Association. Toward building our church I have paid $105 out of a salary even on paper not exceeding, in this and another church to which I have preached over 4 years past, $275 or $300. The church has raised on subscription for me the coming year about $205 and they will probably get a little more. The church and myself belong to the Fox River Union and we have resolutions on temperance and slavery which are strictly adhered to. In June 1851, the Sunday School was organized by Jonathan Hagar who became the first Superintendent with about 60 scholars in attendance. He remained in that post for 35 years serving as the first deacon, the church clerk, Church treasurer and was one of three trustees elected in 1849 to create a Church Board. When the Church found itself without a minister, he often would read sermons and lead the church service. He was known as “Deacon Hagar” or “Brother Hagar.” In 1852 Hagar and his wife built their new house along Main Street on Lots 24 and 25 in East Plainfield about 350 feet east of Division and in 1860, Hagar donated his old house and store located at 405 Main Street west of Division to the Church to serve as its parsonage with a trust fund of $1,000 to provide for its upkeep. In August 1852, Chapman reported Sabbath attendance averaging about 200 in the morning and perhaps 150 in the afternoon; also, the church reported 96 members with all members pledging “total abstinence.” By December church membership had grown to 101 with all pledged to total abstinence and Sunday School scholars now numbered 75. At their annual meeting on Saturday, January 1, 1853 the church unanimously asked Daniel Chapman to remain another year. Forward from March 1853, Daniel conducted 2 services in Plainfield and one about 7 miles at 4 o’clock on the Sabbath and every evening in the week except Saturday evenings, prayer and conference meetings at two o’clock on each weekday except Monday and Saturdays for about two hours. On Saturday, December 31, 1853, the annual meeting was held on “rather cold day and was not so fully attended as it would have been, still it embraced all the leading members of the Church. All but two voted to have me remain of those who voted – two I believe did not vote. Had all voted to remain, I should have left. For a few months a few members have been saying, “I think we had better have a change of ministers.” On January 12, 1854, friends of the minister paid his family a donation visit, giving them $100, $70 in cash. Later in January, the first Superintendent Jonathan Hagar wrote a letter to Rev. George Whipple of the AMA expressing deep regret of the loss of Daniel Chapman – “it has not been anything in particular that he has done as no charges are brought against him, and a vote of the Church desired him to remain longer with us. But as he could not have the confidence and sympathy of all the Church, his influence in a great measure was 41 32 injured. I have merely stated the fact of his leaving in these few words, to inquire of you if you should know of a minister with a small family or a young man who would be willing to come here and labor for the cause of Christ, among us and could get along with a small salary, as we are few and not very wealthy and some of the Church have left owing to difficulties that have taken place. We never paid Brother Chapman over $300 a year, a very poor compensation. I do not expect any other minister will live on that salary. I do not think we should let a minister starve in our community, but the prospect is not very good, yet we need a minister and I feel that we must have one. If we had a young man, we would agree that he should have as good as fare as the rest of us do. And I think in a year or two we should be able to give a minister a good support. We want a man who would be a thorough temperance and Anti-slavery man and of course you would send no other. On Monday, May 1, 1854 Daniel Chapman began his pastorate in Bloomingdale, Illinois in DuPage County about twenty-five miles north of Plainfield. On February 1, 1855, Daniel and Jane Chapman sold “a good house, horse barn and ten acres of land at Plainfield,” to Rev. Daniel Shreffler for $1,800. Thus, ended the pastorate of Daniel Chapman in Plainfield but the legacy of the church that he encouraged to be constructed would expand and thrive to become Will County’s oldest church now approaching its 168th birthday. The Post - Daniel Chapman Period During Chapman’s pastorate and those of subsequent pastors the issue of Christian anti-slavery became a focus point; so much so that three of the Churches’ leading men attended the Second Christian Anti-Slavery Convention in Chicago in early July 1851 with Rev. Chapman. Additionally, there were several properties within the area that were rumored to be on the Underground Railroad. In 1856 Roderick Wight and Edward McAllister, who had settled in Plainfield in 1852 organized the Plainfield Light Artillery. Prior to the Civil War, Plainfield House served as the militia headquarters and artillery park for the Plainfield Light Artillery and Union Greys. On April 13, 1861, the day after the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina, Edward McAllister volunteered for military service and was elected Captain of the Plainfield Light Artillery battery of three cannons. On Sunday, April 15, 1861, two days after the surrender of Fort Sumter, the Church opened its doors after morning services at the centrally located entryway to the sanctuary which was part of the original portion of the Church and began registering men – over 70 enlisted and within ten days the recruits were on their way to Cairo, Illinois, to be trained as part of Captain Edward McAllister’s 10th Illinois Infantry Regiment. Isaac Foster became a minister after Daniel Chapman left and brought with him strong views on slavery and was a staunch abolitionist. Foster eventually re-located to the new state of California where he took up the profession of law and became known for his anti-slavery stance. In October 1887 during a severe thunderstorm the Church’s spire was struck by lightning while the pastor was cooking his dinner inside the church and the portion above the lower tower was removed and sealed with a flat roof. A dome was added soon thereafter which was later damaged and was replaced during the 1906-07 renovations. A youth organization, the Christian Endeavor, began in 1891 and the Missionary Union began in 1896. In 1892 the original church windows were replaced with double-hung windows with larger panes of clear glass encircled by smaller panes of colored glass at a cost of $415. Rev. Arthur Edgar Beddoes moved to Plainfield from Chicago late in 1905 with his wife Edith and their daughter replacing Pastor Orth. Beddoes had served as the pastor at the Maplewood Congregational Church in Chicago and once at Plainfield advocated that the Church had a need to be expanded. On January 5, 1906 the congregation met to consider the remodeling project and decided to incorporate the tenets of the Akron Plan during the remodeling project with work commencing in the summer. The Akron Plan was a scheme for 42 33 the design of churches and other religious buildings that were used for Sunday schools. Sunday School had traditionally been conducted in a single large room setting with pupils of all ages learning the same lesson. This allowed all members of a family to discuss the lesson at home after church, but it was difficult to devise lessons that would be useful to all members of such a heterogeneous set of pupils and the mix of ages tended to give rise to disciplinary problems. In response to this and in keeping with the practice in the public schools, Sunday schools began to be divided into grades. In the late nineteenth century a national convention adopted the Uniform Lesson Plan, whereunder all students would study the same Scriptural passage but would be taught in a manner appropriate to their age. The east side chimney was replaced when the east wing was added that provided space for a kitchen, Sunday School classrooms and an area to host church dinners. The new addition saw three Tiffany-style Memorial windows installed on the north and south facades plus one Memorial window on each side of the new east entranceway. The sanctuary saw a new raked wood floor with semi-circular pews along with a polygonal alcove constructed for the organ – an 1893 model Vocalion Church Organ purchased for $700 - and a choir chancel. The interior was painted and wall-papered with new steps constructed at the original entranceway. Three windows were added to the existing south pediment above the historic entranceway to match those windows on the new east triangular pediment above the new east entranceway. The 1906 remodeling also saw the addition of narrow wood siding to replace the existing siding of the original building. During these renovations, members met with the Evangelical congregations and on Sunday, March 24, 1907, the new addition was dedicated. Pastor Arthur E. Beddoes left Plainfield in 1917 and became the pastor of the Beardstown, Illinois Congregational Church for the next three decades. In 1925 a new organ, a 2 manual 8 rank instrument - Opus 2306, was installed in the sanctuary from the Estey Pipe Organ Company of Brattleboro, Vermont; a memorial bequest of Eben and Celeste Nimmons. In 1924, the Plainfield Township War Memorial was installed in the west side yard honoring the heroes of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I. Special services marked the Church’s Centennial celebration during the month of September in 1934 and a special pageant was written by Alice Graves Brown honoring the Pilgrims, Native Americans, early church members, the dedication of the building, the Missionary Union and the Women’s Guild. Two former pastors Rev. Arthur E. Beddoes (1906 – 1916) and Rev. Norman Sininger (1917 – 1924) returned to speak at services. On Friday, July 26, 1940, a resolution was voted on at a meeting of the congregation to sell the north 56 feet of the original church’s lot to the Plainfield Public Library for $2,000. The money was used to hand dig out a basement under the 1906 east wing and relocate the kitchen to that space and Sunday School classes and church social groups would also use the area. In 1946 the front doors with art glass were removed and replaced. Though the original building dates from January 1851, the congregation dates from the earliest days of Plainfield’s settlement when four families were brought together by the Reverend N. C. Clark, a missionary preaching in the area of Walkers Grove to form the Plainfield Congregational Church in 1834. The union by the Congregational and Christian Churches seemed the most natural in the world, yet most of their life together from 1931 – 1957 concerned the General Council with matters surrounding Church union, first its own and then with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. But there came to exist a small but vocal minority of ministers and laymen that protested these developments and feared that this Union would destroy the heritage and structure of American Congregationalism. During 1956 and 1957 meetings took place that eventually approved the merger in 1957, however the actual consummation did not occur until 1961 and those opposed to this union would form a new denomination, which became the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches that was created in 1955. 43 34 In 1958 debate and meetings were held regarding the remodeling of the existing church or the construction of a new church. The large growth of the congregation, plus the closeness of Plainfield churches within a four-block area brought about discussions regarding the lack of parking spaces. In 1959, it was decided that the Church would build new and relocate to Ottawa Street where the church owned land across the street from the Park District’s swimming pool. However, land was soon donated at the northwest corner of Route 59 and Fraser Road with a cornerstone laid on May 19, 1963 and in 1965 the members agreed to become part of the United Church of Christ. Meetings and discussions were held in Plainfield to consider the merger of the Congregational Church and the Evangelical Reformed Church which if the merger occurred, the name of the church would be the United Church of Christ. There soon emerged two congregations – those members who did not wish to give up the historic building on Lockport Street and relocate to a new building or to be drawn into membership in the United Church of Christ, thus forming the Plymouth Congregational Church associated with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. On Thursday, April 11, 1963, forty-five members of the Plymouth Congregational Church signed a charter and met at the Plainfield American Legion Marne Post 13. On Sunday, May 12, 1963, the first worship services and Sunday School classes were held at the American Legion building since the members of the Plymouth Congregation had not acquired any property. On August 18, 1963 special services were held for the closing of the Charter with 41 persons signing the document. During the first week of November in 1963, members of the Plymouth Congregational Church held a fundraiser – the passing of a Joash Box - taken from a Bible story in II Chronicles 24 when King Joash provided a box for offerings from the people for the rebuilding of the Temple – this Harvest Home dinner raised $10,000 for a down payment on the historic Church building and this tradition became an annual event providing funds for non-budget projects. At their annual meeting on January 30, 1964, the members of the United Church of Christ voted to sell the historic church building to the Plymouth Congregational Church for $40,000 – a down payment of $10,000 from the November 1963 Harvest Home dinner, $20,000 borrowed from the Plainfield National Bank and personal bonds amounting to $10,000 were sold to church members. On March 8, 1964, services were held in their re-acquired building. Sunday School, youth and community ministries were expanded with the move back into the historic building and on May 10, 1964, dedication services were held for the Plymouth Congregational Church – both for the new congregation and the historic building. In the fall of 1964, the ceiling in the sanctuary fell and Church services were held in the basement while the repair work, decorating and new carpeting was completed. In 1966 the basement fellowship hall was enlarged by excavating under the Narthex and a major portion of the sanctuary which nearly doubled the size of the facilities used for Sunday School and fellowship. The once built kitchen from the 1940 construction that had become a classroom was made into the Pastor’s study and Memorial Library. On January 18, 1973, a new spire was re-installed on the steeple after an absence of almost 86 years, thus restoring the Church’s near-original appearance - the tall spire that was on the original building had been damaged in a lightning storm in October 1887 was removed and replaced in 1906. The new spire was dedicated on Sunday, January 28, 1973 or 122 years after the original dedication of the Church. In 2000 the Avery family donated funds for a new pipe organ by Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois, that was installed in the sanctuary using the existing console. The 2 manuals 12 rank organ was played for the first time on Sunday, April 16, 2000. On Sunday, June 28, 2001 the Plymouth Congregational Church celebrated its 150th anniversary and later began a project to create a matching wing that mirrored the 44 35 1906 east addition, that contained a family worship room, restroom and offices. This addition was added to the west side of the original 1851 facade as well as an addition onto the rear or north elevation of the church for Sunday School classrooms and additional restrooms. This west addition aesthetically and symmetrically mirrored the 1906 east addition to the church. The rear elevation of the original church building is no longer visible with the 2002 addition though portions of the original 1850-51 narrow clapboard siding can be seen along hallways on the original north and west elevations. This new addition was dedicated on Sunday, August 18, 2002 making the current building more than double the size of the original church finished in 1851. Summary Statement of Significance Despite several additions to expand the original church building, the Plainfield Congregational Church continues to be an outstanding example of the Greek Revival style with several of the historic additions having now achieved historic significance in their own right. The period of significance associated with this structure stretches from 1850 to 1917. This reflects the period when Daniel Chapman encouraged the construction of the new house of worship and the subsequent breaking ground in the summer of 1850; into the early Twentieth Century when Rev. Arthur E. Beddoes advocated enlarging the historic building with an addition on the east side of the Church, keeping the Greek Revival style in 1906 and doing some cosmetic interior work within the sanctuary. The Church has carried out two interior renovations since the 1906 East wing addition – a 1940-41 excavation under the 1906 addition to create a basement for additional space, a 1966 excavation under the Narthex and part of the Sanctuary that expanded the 1940 basement fellowship hall and a 2002 west addition complete with a basement to incorporate the new mechanicals wrapping around and encompassing the north or rear façade of the original building. In her 2005 ArchiSearch survey of the building, Alice Novak states “despite great expansion of the original church building, the Congregational Church continues to be an outstanding example of the Greek revival style, with historic additions having now achieve historic significant in their own right” ……we recommend its inclusion as a historic landmark [Exhibit I for ownership history]. The Plainfield Congregational Church is nominated for designation as a local landmark in the Village of Plainfield under the following criteria: Criterion c: is identified with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state or nation; Criterion d: embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials; Criterion f: embodies elements of design, detailing, materials, or craftsmanship that are of architectural significance; Criterion h: has a unique location or physical characteristics that make it a familiar visual feature of the community; Criterion j: is suitable for preservation or restoration 45 36 Exhibits A. Chester Ingersoll’s Plat of Planefield - 1834 B. Chester Ingersoll’s Addition to Plainfield – 1837 C. Levi Arnold’s Addition to Plainfield - 1845 D. Elihu Corbin’s Addition to Plainfield – 1852 E. George N. Chittenden & James H. Smiley’s Subdivision – 1881 (Adah) Royce’s Church Addition – August 1867 F. Daniel Chapman’s purchase contract from Oliver Goss for land to build his house and barn G. Chain of Title for 24022 W. Lockport St. – Congregational Church parcel 46 37 EXHIBIT A Chester Ingersoll’s Plat of Planefield - 1834 47 38 EXHIBIT B Chester Ingersoll’s Addition to Plainfield – 1837 48 39 EXHIBIT C Levi Arnold’s Addition to Plainfield - 1845 49 40 EXHIBIT D Elihu Corbin’s Addition to Plainfield – 1852 50 41 EXHIBIT E The map below shows the SE portion of Arnold’s Addition known as Block 6: Chittenden & Smiley’s Subdivision of part of SE ¼ of Sec. 9 (1881) is to the left of Street (Adah) Royce’s Addition or Church Addition (Aug. 1867) – Lots 1 – 14 are to the right of Street 51 42 EXHIBIT F Purchase of 10 acres by Daniel Chapman from Oliver Goss for his new house 3/11/1847 Goss, Oliver S. [Deed – M-267-8] $120 Chapman, Daniel E ½ of SW ¼ of Sec. 15 in Twp. 36 N of Range 9 E – Begin at a stone planted at 19.43 chains North from the South quarter of said Sec. 15, thence North 14.97 chains planted stone south of the center of Sec. 15 5.40 chains, thence west variation of East-West section lines 13.46 chains to the place of beginning, containing about 10 Acres. Sale by Daniel Chapman of his homestead after he left Plainfield 2/01/1822 Chapman, Daniel/Jane [Deed-37.350] [Bloomingdale, DuPage County] $1,800 Shreffler, Daniel Part of the E ½ of SW ¼ of Sec. 15 in 36 N Range 9E – begin at a stone planted 19.43 chains North from the South quarter corner of said Sec. 15, thence North 14.97 chains to a planted stone South of the center of said Sec. 15 5.40 chains, thence on the variation of the East-West Section line 13.46 chains to a planted stone, thence South 42 degrees East 20.30 chains to place of beginning, containing 10 Acres – House & Barn noted in contract 52 43 EXHIBIT G 24022 (409) W. Lockport 06-03-09-408-019-0000 Commencing 3.14 chains west of a point 30’ North and 30’ West of SE corner of Sec. 9, running West 2 chains, thence North 2.50 chains, East 2 chains & South 2.50 chains to place of beginning except the North 56’ thereof Oldest Church Building in Plainfield & Will County (1850) GRANTOR GRANTEE 5/12/2014 Trustees of the Plainfield Congregational Church 11/20/2002 Plymouth Congregational Church [MTG – R2003018461 $50,000 Corporation for National Ass. of Congregational Christian Church of US Final Payment of balance due on 11/20/2017 - Willian A. Barnes, Treasurer 9/23/1967 Plymouth Congregational Church [MTG – R67-14925] $31,000 Plainfield National Bank $222.27 payable on the 23rd day of October 1967 & a like amount on the 23rd day of each & every month until September 23, 1987 at 6% interest – collateral being the parcel at 506 W. Chicago & the Church at 409 W. Lockport. 2/24/1964 Trustees of Congregational Church of Plainfield & their successor Plainfield Congregational Church of Plainfield; McBeth, Robert L.; Bender, Frank C.; Huling, Paul T.; Linder, Lawrence E. [Deed – 2086-69] $40,000 Plymouth Congregational Church of Plainfield – a religious Corporation Commencing 3.14 chains west of a point 30’ North and 30’ West of SE corner of Sec. 9, run thence West 2 chains, thence North 2.5 chains, thence East 2 chains, thence South 2.50 chains to place of beginning. 9/21/1940 Harshbarger, Leon; Van Dyke, Earl R.; Manning, Walter; Brissin, George; Cryder, John; Gaylord, Clarence; Congregational Trustees [Deed – 891-529-30] $2,000 Van Dyke, Earl H. (Trustee under the Last Will & Testament of George R. McClester) The North 56’ of the following described premises - commencing 3.14 chains west of a point 30’ North and 30’ West of SE corner of Sec. 9, run thence West 2 chains, thence North 2.5 chains, thence East 2 chains, thence South 2.50 chains to place of beginning,, containing ½ acre & further being described as Lots 2 & 3 in the Assessor’s subdivision of Block 6 in Arnold’s Addition to Plainfield. A resolution adopted by the Church’s congregation held at a regular meeting on July 26, 1940. 7/13/1849 Royce, Adah [Deed – T-285] $40 Trustees of Congregational Church Commencing 3.14 chains West of a corner 30’ North and 30’ West of the SE corner of Sec. 9 in Twp. 36 N Range 9 E, running thence West 2 chains, thence North 2.50 chains, thence East 2 chains, thence South 2.50 chains to place of beginning, containing ½ A. 53 44 GRANTOR GRANTEE 5/01/1841 Royce, Miles/Sarah [Deed – G-110-1 $500 Royce, Adah Commencing 30’ N 30’ W of SE corner of Sec. 9, thence West 7.57 chains, thence North 7 chains, thence East 7.57 chains, thence South 7 chains to POB, containing 5 A. & Lots 4 & 5 in East Plainfield This contract covers the land the Assessor subdivided into Lots 4 – 14, the Lot the Congregational Society purchased, the eastern 2/3 of Chittenden & Smiley’s corner plus the North-South street that would become Arnold Street & was later renamed Illinois St. 3/19/1841 Bennett, Chester/Martha [Deed – G-12] $200 Royce, Miles SE ¼ of Sec. 9, commencing 30’ West & 30’ North of the SE corner of Sec. 9, said 30’ being reserved for a road on a line of said Sec. 9, thence West 7.57 chains, thence North 7 chains, thence East 7.57 chains, thence South 7 chains to place of beginning, being 5 A., with a reserve of a road on the NW corner. 4/10/1840 Bennett, Chester/Martha [Deed – G-12] $250 Royce, Miles Commencing 30’ West and 30’ North, (the South 30’ being reserved for a road running East & West of the SE corner of Sec. 9, thence West 7.57 chains, thence North 7 chains, thence East 7.57 chains, thence South 7 chains to place of beginning, containing 5 A. with a reserve on the NW corner of said lot to have the road in front of Stephen R. Beggs’ lot of sufficient width being 66’ as laid out. 3/25/1840 Bennett, Chester [Mtg – F-403] $300 Royce, Miles SE ¼ of Sec. 9 – Beginning 30’ N & 30’ West of the SE corner of Sec. 9, thence West 7.57 chains, thence North 7 chains, East 7.57 chains, thence South 7 chains, containing 5 Acres, the house now standing on the premises & occupied by Elisha Springer is excepted if removed by the 1st day of March next from these premises. 3/10/1840 Arnold, Levi [Deed – F-365-66] $300 Bennett, Chester Commencing 30’ West and 30’ North, (the South 30’ being reserved for a road running East & West of the SE corner of Sec. 9, thence West 7.57 chains, thence North 7 chains, thence East 7.57 chains, thence South 7 chains to place of beginning, containing 5 A. with a reserve on the NW corner of said lot to leave the road in front of Stephen R. Beggs’ lot of sufficient width being 66’ as laid out. 12/11/1834 U.S. Land Office [Patent – 1584] $200 Arnold, Levi SE ¼ of Sec. 9 in Twp. 36 N of Range 9 E, containing 160 Acres 54 45 Researchers: Michael Bortel Leif Hendricksen Images: Plymouth Congregational Church Leif Hendricksen Plainfield Historical Society References: A Field Guide to American Architecture, Carole Rifkind, A Plume Book, 1980, ISBN 0-452-25334-5. A Field Guide to American Houses, Virginia & Lee McAlester (Alfred Knopf: New York, 1992) A Guide to American Houses - 1700 to 1900, Henry Lionel Williams & Attalie K. Williams, S. Barnes & Company, 1962 A History of Plainfield: Then and Now (2nd Edition), Plainfield Bicentennial Commission (Plainfield Enterprise: Plainfield, Illinois, 1976. Ancestry.com. Chapman, Parker and Wallace – The History of a Family, by James B. & Katherine Newman, Nov. 2011. Lulu.com Historic Urbanized Core Survey, Plainfield Historic Preservation Commission. ArchiSearch Historic Preservation Consultant Alice Novak, Sept. 12, 2005. Plainfield Historical Society Archives – Plainfield, Illinois. Restoring Old Houses, Nigel Hutchins, Firefly Books, Buffalo, NY, 1997, ISBN 1-55209-144-9. The Shaping of American Congregationalism – 1620 – 1957, John von Rohr, Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1962. The Shaping of the United Church of Christ: An Essay in the History of American Christianity, Louis H.Gunnemann & Charles Shelby Rooks, ed. Cleveland: United Church Press, 1999. The History of Will County, Illinois – 1878. U.S. Federal Census Records - 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940. Will County Recorder’s Office Archives: Joliet, Illinois. 55