POLO – An important piece of the town’s history is up for sale.

The Polo Historic Wedding Chapel is on the market, but owners Jim O’Connor and Christina Lee-Grogan are hoping their preservation efforts will continue. They are selling the chapel because of health issues, O’Connor said.

“Business was good – that wasn’t really a factor at all,” O’Connor said. “We are just dealing with an illness, and that’s all we can focus on right now.”

The First Presbyterian Church, 211 N. Division, was dedicated in 1857 – the year Polo was founded.

The congregation dates back to 1848, and it left an indelible mark on the town’s history. First Presbyterian became known as the “abolitionist church,” because the church would not let slave owners or advocates of slavery join its congregation.

The congregation also was strongly opposed to the making and selling of alcohol, setting the tone for Polo becoming a dry town for 6 decades before the onset of prohibition in 1920.

O’Connor and Grogan bought the limestone and brick church in October 2006, and restored it to serve as a unique setting for personalized wedding ceremonies, rehearsal dinners and showers. The historic wedding site has drawn couples from across the Midwest.

The big brass bell that rang for newly married couples was first used in 1860, to celebrate the election of Abraham Lincoln as the nation’s 16th president.

The couple organized their last wedding in September.

“We’re not planning anything else, because this is the kind of event that people schedule years ahead of time,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor said they would like to see it continue to be used as a church. Despite its historic significance, the paperwork has never been completed for historic preservation designation.

“We would love to have someone lease it as a church, but once a contract is signed, you can’t control what they do with it,” the Polo native said. “Hopefully, new owners wouldn’t tear it down.”

The owners said they haven’t yet had any serious inquiries about the building.

The Polo Historical Society owns five historic properties: The Aplington House, home of the town’s founder Zenas Aplington; the Burns House, the town’s first brick home; the Campbell Law Office building; Henry School on state Route 26 south of Polo; and the Lime Kiln, near the quarry it served on Galena Trail Road.

Board member Ed Olsen said the historical society was concerned about the future of the town’s first church, but the organization isn’t ready to take on another project at this time.

“It’s a very important building to some people, but most of those people have been dead for a long time,” Olsen said.

The church had been closed for many years before the current owners entered the picture.

“The building was discussed when it was up for sale the last time, but after they bought it, we figured we didn’t have to be concerned about it,” Olsen said.

Polo Historic Wedding Chapel

For more information about the historic property at 211 N. Division in Polo, call O'Connor at 815-946-4268.