Batavia Church History, Music and Architecture Tour

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 1 - 4PM..
Admission is free, but you will need a ticket. For additional information contact:  Leigh Tracy at 630-406-0729, or via e-mail at leightracy@sbcglobal.net  or any one of the four churches on the tour.

Batavia has a rich religious history and many examples of fine church architecture.  A great deal of art is created and enjoyed in our churches.  Much of this is in the form of music performed by accomplished organists, choirs and soloists.  The Batavia Arts Council seeks to bring community focus to this history, music and architecture, and promote a common understanding and appreciation of this significant community asset. This walking tour will feature the four churches within close proximity on Batavia Avenue.  The event is sponsored by three Batavia organizations, the Arts Council, Historical Society, and Ministerial Association.

The tour will start at Bethany Lutheran, proceed to the United Methodist Church, then to Calvary Episcopal, and end at the Congregational Church.  There will be a stop at each church for a 15-20 minute presentation focusing on the unique history and architecture of the church followed by a music performance.  We will end the afternoon with a reception in Paxton Hall of the Congregational Church.

Admission to this event will be with a ticket available at no cost.  More information is available on the Batavia Arts Council website http://www.bataviaartscouncil.org/.  Tickets are available at each of the host churches, other churches in the community, and at the Batavia Depot Museum.

The history of Batavia closely parallels the development of its churches.  Many prominent citizens were instrumental in establishing the churches of Batavia.  As John Gustafson points out in his book Historic Batavia, “we can learn a great deal about the peoples in early Batavia as we study the churches of Batavia.”  By the fall of 1832 (following the Black Hawk War) this area was open for peaceful occupation.  There was a tide of immigration.  Congress passed the Preemption Laws making land available to settlers eager to move to the area.  Batavia’s first settler and founder was Christopher Columbus Payne in 1833.  Schools and churches soon followed.  The first school and church came with the building of a multipurpose building to serve both purposes in 1834.  The four churches on this tour are examples of what was built on this portion of the Illinois frontier.