Then & Now: Central Presbyterian Church - Joliet

The Central Presbyterian Church, located on the northwest corner of Richards Street and First Avenue, was built in 1895, with Joliet limestone under the direction of the Rev. D. C. Milner, and the architectural firm of Knox and Elliot.

The Victorian Gothic-style church, shown here in the Then image, was built on the east side of the city as the population of Joliet moved from the city’s center.

Organized as a church in 1844, the first Central Presbyterian Church was built in downtown Joliet on the southeast corner of Ottawa and Van Buren streets. The bell that rang for more than 40 years in the tower of the old downtown Presbyterian church was placed in the belfry of the new eastside church.

The bell was bought in the 1850s for $500, and for many years it was the only bell in town. It rang for fires as well as church services.

The Now photograph shows a view of the old church today, which is at 17 S. Richards St. Considered a local landmark, the old Central Presbyterian Church is part of the Jacob Henry Estate today.

Besides the Central Presbyterian Church, the Jacob Henry Estate also includes the original home that once was the residence of railroad tycoon Jacob Henry. Henry was born in New Jersey and began his career with the Hartford & New Haven Railroad in 1842.

Within a few years, Henry moved to the Midwest and began working on new railroad projects in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Henry would make his way to Joliet by 1858, and eventually be involved in the Joliet Street Railway Co., an insurance company, as well as an investor in a local bank, opera house and a stone company.

The construction of the impressive 40-room, 16,800-square-foot home began in 1873 and was completed three years later. The Henry family owned the home until the early 1930s, and lost it during the Great Depression. Today, the Renaissance Revival mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Jacob Henry home and the Central Presbyterian Church are located in a district on the east side of Joliet that once was called “Silk Stocking Row” because it was populated by families of wealth and influence.

Known today as the East Side Historic District, the area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The area contains a great diversity of architectural styles that were common during the Victorian era. Turrets and gables, shingles and stones, columns and arches, all are commonplace in this picturesque district.

Although there are structures within the historic district that date to the early 1850s, the majority of buildings were constructed between 1870 and 1900.

The area is considered one of Joliet’s oldest neighborhoods, and it once was the city’s most prominent neighborhood, attracting many of the important wealthy and influential people of Joliet. In the late 19th century, Eastern Avenue was home to notable politicians, industrialists, doctors and lawyers.