Pingree Church Designated Landmark
The Kane County Board voted Sept. 13 to designate a 101-year-old church in Pingree Grove as a county landmark. The designation of St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church as a Kane County landmark was the first in Pingree Grove since the Board's recent approval of an intergovernmental agreement with the village for the extension of the County's Historic Preservation Program. The Kane County Historic Preservation Commission recommended approval of the designation based on the church's architectural significance as a Romanesque Revival form church with Craftsman style detailing, and for its historic significance in the development and history of Pingree Grove and Kane County, according to preservation planner Julia Thavong. It was built from lumber purchased from the local lumberyard 101 years ago.
"It is a unique type of church architecture in the County," she said. Located in the middle of Pingree Grove, near where two main arteries intersect, "the church (at 14N205 Reinking Rd.in Rutland Township) is very much in the center of the village and very much a part of the community," said Thavong. The village was incorporated in 1907. The church was built circa 1910 and holds the true meaning of a "landmark," having a unique location and physical characteristics that make it a familiar visual feature. The building was designed by Elgin architect George Morris and like most churches in the early 20th Century, it has combined style elements, according to Thavong. Members of St. Peter's purchased the church in 1935 for $500 from the Congregational Church, its original owner. A portion of the funding to buy the church came from the 50-cent chicken dinners that the church sold to residents of Pingree Grove, a tradition that continues to this day by way a turkey dinner.
