BATAVIA – The beauty of four landmarks in downtown Batavia will be showcased from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 9 on a Historic Church Walk designed to raise funds for the expansion of the Batavia Depot Museum.

Church docents will be at each location to show off the architectural highlights and other points of interest and history. Participating will be the Batavia United Methodist Church, Bethany Lutheran, Calvary Episcopal and Congregational Church of Batavia.

All the locations are within a four-block radius, said Dan Hoefler, a member of the Batavia Historical Society and chairman of the Depot Museum expansion project committee. The museum is a cooperative effort of the society and Batavia Park District.

A member of Calvary, he said the building was donated by John Van Nortwick so his daughter would have an Episcopal church in which to marry. He noted it started in 1881.

"[The sanctuary] is the same as it was years ago – [people] would recognize it immediately," Hoefler said. "The pews, pulpit … windows are all original."

He said the stained glass windows have been restored to their glory from 1884.

The multiyear Depot Museum campaign to raise $2 million has climbed to around the $700,000 mark, Hoefler said, with more fundraisers planned.

"Our [current] exhibit area is so limited," Hoefler said. "We're really making an effort to reach out and let people know the relevance of the museum."

A goal of the proposed new building is to create the more interactive, modern space of contemporary museums, he said, adding, "With expanded exhibit areas and galleries, we hope to be able to do those things in the future."

In tandem with the church tour, participants are invited to visit the museum not only for cookies and light refreshments but to explore the “Gather and Praise: A History of Batavia Churches” exhibit that opened this summer. It highlights numerous churches in the community. Included are architectural items such as an 1880s finial from the Episcopal church and elements of other churches including the Baptist church razed in 2017.

"It married together perfectly to have overviews of other facilities [that tour participants are] not visiting in person [and] still represent them with the … exhibit," Depot Museum Director Jennifer Putzier said.

The walking tour will highlight the churches' architecturally significant interiors and the impact the institutions have had on the Batavia community for more than 150 years. Tour maps and $15 tickets can be picked up at any of the participating churches before Sept. 9. The maps also will be available on the day of the tour or at the Depot Museum during operating hours.

Church history basics

Bethany Lutheran Church began as Swedish Bethany, organized in 1872, the year after the Great Chicago Fire, which saw an influx of Swedes coming to Batavia to cut stone to be used in rebuilding Chicago. The current building dates to 1888.

Batavia United Methodist Church held its first services in 1836 in the home of William Van Nortwick. The current sanctuary was built in 1887, a gift of Capt. Newton and the Rev. Gammon, whose homes still stand opposite one another at the corner of Batavia Avenue and Wilson Street.

Calvary Episcopal Church was organized in 1842. The first church building was constructed on land donated by Joseph McKee in 1855. That building was destroyed by a tornado. The current limestone building started in 1881 was donated by John Van Nortwick.

Congregational Church of Batavia was founded as the Church of the Big and Little Woods in 1835, and was originally Presbyterian. The current sanctuary was constructed in 1856 and is an example of Colonial New England architecture fashioned in Batavia limestone.

If you go

WHAT: Historic Church Walk fundraiser for Batavia Depot Museum expansion

WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 9

WHERE: Four downtown Batavia churches

COST: $15

INFO: BataviaHistoricalSociety.org, Depot Museum, 155 Houston St., and Batavia Park District offices, 327 W. Wilson or 14 N. Van Buren streets