CHURCHES-1835-1872

As soon as settlers built their cabins, they'd organize a church. Until structures were built, travelling missionaries conducted services. These men went on foot or horseback to pioneer settlements to conduct worship services, marriages, and baptisms.

Rev. Nathaniel Clark preached the first sermon in Big Woods in 1834 in Christopher Payne's cabin. In 1835, the village's first church was organized at the cabin and was called the Church of the Big and Little Woods. In 1843, it became the Congregational Church. Services were held in the school until 1841 when a church building was erected at 16 North Batavia Avenue. The Congregational Church at 21 South Batavia Avenue was built in 1856.

In 1836, the Regular Baptist Church of Christ at Big Woods was started. In 1850, it built a church on land donated by Isaac Wilson and changed its name to First Baptist Church of Batavia. Today's Baptist Church at 15 North Washington Avenue was built in 1888.

In 1836, Methodists organized a church in William VanNortwick's home. In 1888, Don Carlos Newton and Rev. Elijah H. Gammon had a Methodist Church built at 8 North Batavia Avenue and gave it to the congregation.

In 1842, the Calvary Episcopal congregation began meeting in the home of Mrs. James Derby. In 1855, it built a church at Houston and Lincoln Streets that was destroyed by a tornado. In 1880, John VanNortwick paid for building the present church at 222 South Batavia Avenue.

By 1845, Catholic settlers attended their first masses in homes conducted by a missionary, Father Sullivan. Later they met in the old Congregational Church at 16 North Batavia Avenue. They built Holy Cross Church at the corner of VanBuren and Wilson Streets in 1897. In 1994, they built the current church on West Main Street.

In 1864, the German Methodist Episcopal Church was organized with services in German. They built a wooden church at 29 North VanBuren Street two years later.

In 1865, the African Methodist Episcopal congregation built a wooden church at Logan and River Streets. Today this is the Logan Street Baptist Church.

The Swedish Methodist Episcopal congregation was formed in 1872 and built a church at 347 McKee Street for Swedish speaking immigrants. It united with the Methodist Church on Batavia Avenue in 1971.

In 1872, the Swedish Lutheran Church was formed and held services in Swedish. Today's Bethany Lutheran Church, built in 1888, is at 8 South Lincoln Street was built in 1888.

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