Bill Text: IL HR0533 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulate the First Presbyterian Church of Vandalia on its long and storied history and for its enriching role in Illinois history.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Passed) 2013-10-22 - Resolution Adopted [HR0533 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HR0533-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are pleased to congratulate the First
Presbyterian Church of Vandalia on its long and storied
history; and
WHEREAS, In 1823, the Illinois General Assembly donated 5
lots to the City of Vandalia so that the capital city could
have a church; Vandalia city leaders sold 4 of the lots and
built the little House of Divine Worship on the 5th lot with
the remaining money; and
WHEREAS, The American Home Missionary Society sent the
Reverend Solomon P. Hardy to organize the new church; the first
members of the church included Jeremiah Abbott, his wife,
Betsy, Mrs. Ruth Russell, Mrs. Amy Davidson, and Mrs. Martha
Gorin on certificate; Mr. Samuel Russell and Miss Ruth Russell
were on examination; and
WHEREAS, Following the completion of the House of Divine
Worship, all people were invited to worship there, although it
was used primarily by Presbyterians and Methodists; the House
of Divine Worship was also used as a school; and
WHEREAS, Many important government officials and

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outstanding members of the community were members of the House
of Divine Worship of Vandalia and it is believed that Abraham
Lincoln worshipped there; and
WHEREAS, One of the most revered artifacts of the early
Presbyterian Church and Vandalia was donated to the church
after a Philadelphia department store owner and extensive land
owner, Romulus Riggs, read an article about the poor little
Presbyterian Church way out in the Wilderness Capital of
Illinois; Mr. Riggs sent a bell in honor of his newly-born
daughter, who was named Illinois; and
WHEREAS, In 1837, legislators voted to move the capital to
Springfield; since Vandalia was built as the seat of the State
government in 1839, many Vandalia citizens moved to
Springfield, which caused the population to drop greatly; as a
result, the church's membership dropped to 5 people; and
WHEREAS, Five people could not support the House of Divine
Worship; therefore, the church was rented to a farmer who
raised sheep on the premises until 1848, when it was
reestablished by Reverend Joseph Gordon; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1860s, a maiden lady of the church
passed away and left $800 in her will to the church, requesting
that the money be used to build a new church; and

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WHEREAS, In 1867, the House of Divine Worship land was
purchased for $500 by the trustees of the Presbyterian Church,
which included Trustee James Hall, who is known as the first
man of letters in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, The women of the church hosted strawberry
festivals to raise money and with the help of Matthias Fehren's
donation of $4,000, Fred Remann, Sr.'s donation of $3.000, and
Dr. J. N. and Calvin McCord's donation of $1,000, the new
Presbyterian church was built on the corner of Main St. and 3rd
St. at a cost of $15,000; and
WHEREAS, The House of Divine Worship was moved to the back
of the lot during construction and was later sold to the First
Christian Church; and
WHEREAS, After the First Christian Church built a new
church, the House of Divine Worship became a private residence;
and
WHEREAS, In 1970, the Presbyterians built a new church;
Historical Vandalia, Inc. purchased the old building, with
plans to open a museum on the first floor; on June 10, 1979,
the Fayette County Museum was opened to the public for the
first time; and

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WHEREAS, In March of 1982, the old Presbyterian Church
building joined the National Register of Historic Places; and
WHEREAS, The Fayette County Museum is now one of Vandalia's
major tourist attractions; the museum is staffed by volunteers
and operates on donations; each year, thousands of school
children and tourists have the opportunity to view artifacts
dating back to the days when Vandalia was the capital of
Illinois from 1820 to 1839; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we congratulate the Vandalia Presbyterian Church on its
enriching role in Illinois history and wish the church's
congregation success and happiness in the future; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the Vandalia Presbyterian Church as a symbol of
our esteem and respect.