St. Paul UCC is one of the two oldest Churches in Palatine, Illinois!  Our history is an exciting journey that begins with the recorded history of the town of Palatine in 1835.  So follow along with us…see the sights and hear the history of a Church that has grown and progressed here in Palatine over the years.

The beginning of St. Paul UCC

Recorded history of Palatine, Illinois, began about 1835.  Land grants were given to Amos Baily & Ezekiel Cady in 1837, and Mason & Silas Sutherland in 1838.

The railroad station was built in 1855, with the laying of the tracks extending from Dunton Station, (which is now Arlington Heights Station).  In July 1855, the site of the Village of Palatine was surveyed into lots, blocks & streets.  The first school was built in the Village in 1860, and the Village of Palatine was officially incorporated in 1866.  It wasn’t until 1914 that a high school was built.
With the establishment of the Village of Palatine, a number of retired people from the Village of Plum Grove, (near Algonquin & Roselle Rds), came to live in the thriving new community.  In order to serve them, and other newcomers to the Village, Pastor Richard Kruger began mission work in 1870.  Services were held bi-monthly in the old Masonic Hall.  In 1871, the pioneers organized the congregation as the “German United St. Paul’s Congregation”.

Soon after the organization of the young congregation, plans were laid for the building of its own Church home.  The original St. Paul Church building was dedicated on the Harvest Festival in October of 1872. Also in 1872, a parsonage was built, which was destroyed by a fire in 1897 & re-built.  In 1888, a small School house was built.

Between 1871 and 1921, 12 different Pastors were called to serve at St. Paul.

St. Paul UCC 1912 – the 1930s

In May of 1912, Rev. Louis Kurz accepted a call to pastor at St. Paul. Under his leadership, in 1914, St. Paul began to offer Sunday School classes & Worship Services in English. Until that time, only German language education and services were offered. Around the same time, the interior of the Church was renovated, new pews purchased and altar carpet laid.

In 1921, St. Paul celebrated its 50th anniversary and was discussing building a new brick Church to accommodate its congregants, and by March of 1925, the new Church building was dedicated.

St. Paul UCC the 1940s – 1960s

In 1940, due to a merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Churches, St. Paul’s became known as St Paul’s Evangelical and Reformed Church of Palatine. And in 1958, the merger of the Evangelical & Reformed Churches with the Congregational Churches resulted in our Church’s present name – St. Paul United Church of Christ, Palatine, Illinois.

Between 1940 and the early 1950′s St. Paul’s had experienced such a rapid growth that there were over 150 pupils in Sunday School, and in 1954 plans were made to add an Education Wing. The Educational wing was built at the back of the church during 1955-1957. In 1960 property was purchased across Oak St. to the east and in 1964 the big parking lot was completed. The new parsonage was built in 1969. In 1971, our Centennial Year, the renovation of our sanctuary was completed. Other improvements have since been made, probably the most important in 1985 when the new east entrance including the elevator and other remodeling that made the building completely accessible to the disabled.

So, of those settlers who came to this area early on, many of their descendants still remain here today. Many of Palatine’s citizens are related in some way, even members of our church.

In 1955, the Groundbreaking Ceremony for what was called the “Youth Activity Building” was held.