Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
Trinity Lutheran Church was organized in 1870, as members of St. Peter's Evangelical Church (now St. Peter's United Church of Christ) at Chicago and Noble left that church to form a Lutheran congregation. The congregation, originally known as Evangelisch Lutherischen Dreieinigkeits Gemeinde, was a member of the Central Illinois Synod of the General Synod.
In 1870 a lot was obtained at 742 North Ada Street and a building (pictured at left) constructed in 1871. The building survived the Chicago Fire.
In 1893 the structure was remodeled and rebuilt and a steeple was added (pictured at right).
In 1923 Trinity joined the Iowa Synod. By 1923 the neighborhood was largely Polish, Russian and Jewish. With a high of 800 members at one point, membership had dropped to 60 by 1923. The congregation decided to move to the Austin neighborhood, home to many of the church's members. Farewell services to the old building were held in August 1924.
The Ada St. building was later was used by other congregations, most recently one called the New Macedonia Church, before being torn down in November 2006.
Temporarily using a Seventh Day Adventist Church, lots were purchased on Laramie Road near North Avenue (1400 N. Laramie). A parish house with chapel (pictured at left) was constructed first in 1924-25, with plans to add a permanent sanctuary at a later time.
In June 1935 the basement with temporary worship facilities was completed and the old building converted to a gymnasium. The final stage of the new worship building (pictured below) was built in 1948-49.
The congregation disbanded in 1997.
Pastors
John Bond
1870-1873
J.D. Severinghaus
1873-1881
Richard Schiele
1881-1886
Robert Fahner
1886-1919
E.M. Lehmann
1920-1923
Carl H. Rembold
1923-1957
George Reinke
1957-1968
Philip R. Johnson
1968-1975
Sons of the congregation Edward Gabel
Charles Hart
George Reinke
Neil Hilton
Original records Original record books for Trinity should be found at the ELCA's Region 5 Archive in Dubuque, Iowa. Membership records from 1870-1967 are available on microfilm from the ELCA Archives on ALC #439, while membership records from 1968-1978 and church minutes from 1909-1978 are available on ALC #815. The ELCA Archives also has congregational histories and other matierals relating to Trinity.
Sources Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 100th Anniversary, 1870-1970.