Earlier Churches, 1832 - 1932
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The Eureka Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has been an active congregation since April of 1832. It was initially called the Walnut Grove Church of Christ and was formed by a group of 20 charter members who were living along Walnut Creek in what is now southern Woodford County, Illinois. It was the first church to be formed in the area. These members were mostly from Ohio and Kentucky and followers of Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell. Stone and Campbell were two religious leaders who began the American Restoration Movement in 1832. The denomination was known as both the Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ. Some of the denomination’s tenents included believer baptism by immersion, a focus on the New Testament, weekly communion for all, congregational government, an emphasis on education, and a rejection of creeds (Dickinson, 1989).
Walnut Grove Church of Christ members initially held services in cabins, barns, and outdoors. Their first service was at the home of John Oatman, who along with Richard B. McCorkle, were the first elders. Caleb and Martha Davidson, who moved to Walnut Grove from Kentucky in 1830, hosted a large revival meeting in 1834 where the guest preacher was reportedly denomination co-founder Barton W. Stone. The Davidson Barn, which was built by Caleb Davidson in 1839 about one mile northwest of present-day Eureka, was another location where the congregation met. Even though they did not meet weekly due to travel and weather conditions, the membership continued to grow and by 1837 there were 165 members (Barnstorming, n.d.; Dickinson, 1989; Stratton & Mansberger, 2008).
The congregation’s first building was a one-story frame structure built in 1846 on the site of the present-day Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Olio Township Cemetery. It was believed to be built by Jonathan Tressler. With an official location, services were now held weekly. The building had two doors facing west. Just inside the doors and between them was a boxed-in walnut pulpit. The wood was obtained locally, and the bricks and mortar made from local materials. The meeting house was used for worship and community meetings. Willliam Davenport was the primary preacher during the period 1835 – 1858. In 1847 denomination co-founder Alexander Campbell visited the congregation. A year later a burial ground was established by the church. This later became the present-day Olio Township Cemetery (Dickinson, 1989; Klaus, 2009; Stratton & Mansberger, 2008).
One hundred yards east of the church, the Walnut Grove Academy was established in 1848. A two-story brick building was built a year later. The school was organized by community leaders of the church, and it was chartered as Eureka College in 1855. This four-year, private college is still affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The city of Eureka was platted on December 29, 1855, to the north of the church and college, along the proposed Peoria and Oquawka railroad. It was incorporated in 1859. The town became the county seat in 1896 (Dickinson, 1985; Woodford County Historical Society, 2009).
In 1864 members relocated the church to its present-day location at 302 S. Main Street, just three blocks south of Eureka’s town center. The lots had been purchased in 1863 for $350. The new building contained just one room, measuring 44 x 77 feet, on the main floor and a basement. The one-and-a-half story building was designed by architect Valentine Jobst of Peoria. Builders included a Mr. Lupton (brick work); John Shaw, George W. Lewis, and Stephan A. Hoyt (carpentry); and James Schackleford (plaster). During the 1870s and 1880s, some notable revival meetings were held there, which increased membership. In 1888 an adjacent lot was purchased for $200 (Dickinson, 1989; "The Last Services," 1901).
In May of 1892 a committee was appointed to explore the possibility of a new, larger church. In 1899 the congregation adopted plans for a new church and the last service was held on May 12, 1901. The process of tearing down the old church started the following day, bricks began to be laid on July 3, and a cornerstone was laid soon after. The architect for the building was J. M. Deal of Lincoln, and nearly all the work and materials were supplied locally. Also in 1901, the church’s name was officially changed from the Walnut Grove Church of Christ to “The Christian Church at Eureka, Illinois” when it was incorporated on October 30. While the church was being built, the congregation met at Eureka College chapel and tabernacle ("Church Dedicated," 1902; Dickinson, 1989; "Eureka Christian Church, Inc.," ca. 2014; "The Dedication," 1902; "The Last Services," 1901).
The new church was dedicated on Sunday, January 26, 1902. The church could seat over 500 people with semi-circular rows on a sloped floor down towards the communion table. The pulpit was on a raised platform behind the table, and the baptistery, choir loft, and organ were behind the pulpit. Decorative features included memorial windows, oak pews, bronzed metal adornments, and hand-painted wall decorations featuring vines, buds, and clusters of flowers. Other rooms in the building included a pastor’s study, choir room, kitchen, meeting room, furnace room, and a large room for dinners, meetings, and Sunday school classes. The cost of the new building was $18,000. According to a newspaper account, a majority of the work and materials were supplied locally. During the dedication service, in less than an hour, $4,687 was raised to meet the remaining indebtedness of $4,500. Some of these funds were set aside to help purchase an organ, which was installed in 1906 ("Church Dedicated," 1902; Dickinson, 1989).
The building was destroyed by fire on March 7, 1932, just a month shy of the congregation’s 100th anniversary. The fire was thought to be caused by an overheated furnace, and only a few books and records from the pastor’s study were saved. The church had been redecorated and carpeted just a year prior. The loss was estimated at $40,000 with insurance covering just $26,000 (Dickinson, 1989; "Eureka Christian Church Complete Ruin By Flames," 1932).