St. Peter's Designated As Frankfort's First Historic Landmark

FRANKFORT, IL — The Frankfort Village Board has designated St. Peter's United Church of Christ as the village's first historic landmark. The church, 12 W. Sauk Trail, was designated a landmark under the provisions of the Historic Preservation Ordinance of the Village of Frankfort, the village said in a release.

The church was founded in 1867 by local Swiss and German residents, and was originally built in 1868, a release states. The congregation outgrew its small wooden church and built a new sanctuary in 1912. According to the village, the building is a well-preserved example of the Neo-Gothic architectural style popular in the years before World War I.

There are several historical features of the church as well. The building features art glass windows that are believed to be produced by the Kinsella Company, known for its use of “favrile” glass, colorful iridescent glass developed by the L.C. Tiffany Co., to depict Biblical scenes. Red bricks cover the exterior with a north facing central gable embraced by two towers. The west tower houses the Carillon and two historic bells. Atop this tower is a conical slate roof on which sits St. Peter’s symbolic rooster. A concrete cornerstone built into the brick wall, Christus Der Eckstein, 1915, commemorates the building’s construction and purpose, according to the village.

Additional structures have been added over the years, but the basic Neo-Gothic structure remains intact.

“The trustees and I are pleased to approve the designation of St. Peter’s Church as an Historic Landmark in Frankfort. The stained-glass windows with words in German, the artisan woodwork in the altar and the exterior architecture make this building worthy of extra care and preservation. Congratulations to the Frankfort Historic Preservation Commission for their
good work on this project,” Mayor Jim Holland said in a release.