Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon

Infobox_nrhp | name =Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= W234 S7710 Big Bend Road, Vernon, Wisconsin
area =
built = 1853
lat_degrees = 42
lat_minutes = 54
lat_seconds = 55
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 88
long_minutes = 13
long_seconds = 7
long_direction = W
locmapin = Wisconsin
architect=
architecture= Greek Revival
added = 7 January 1999 [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/WI/Waukesha/state3.html National Register of Historic Places — Wisconsin (WI), Waukesha County] , NRHP. Accessed 2008-06-26.]
governing_body = Private
refnum=98001595

The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon is a historic church in the town of Vernon in southeastern Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is also listed as Convenanter Church. Built in 1853, and formerly a congregation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999.

History

Reformed Presbyterians first moved to the Vernon area in 1844. By 1847, several families (primarily from upstate New York) had arrived in the area, forming a small society of members, and the congregation was officially organized as Waukesha Reformed Presbyterian Church on 1848-10-18.Glasgow, W. M. [http://reformedpresbyterian.org/assets/pdf/Glasgow%20book/Glasgow%2007.pdf "A History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America"] . Baltimore: Hill & Harvey, 1888, pp. 346-348.] Although the denomination already had a presbytery in Illinois, the church was part of the New York-based Rochester Presbytery, because without railroads, the Great Lakes made New York easier to reach. [Glasgow, W. M. [http://reformedpresbyterian.org/assets/pdf/Glasgow%20book/Glasgow%2016.pdf "A History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America"] . Baltimore: Hill & Harvey, 1888, p. 781.] The congregation did not last long, however; it never had a settled pastor, and the elders died or moved away, causing the congregation to become disorganized on 1850-11-18. Some members remained, nevertheless: the present church building was erected in the town in Vernon in 1853, and Illinois Presbytery reorganized it as the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon on 1856-09-16. Unlike before, the congregation was able to secure a pastor; ministers came and went, but the church was strong enough to continue during the times when its pulpit was vacant. The congregation was part of Iowa Presbytery from its foundation in 1863. ["Minutes of Synod" relating to Iowa Presbytery. "Reformed Presbyterian and Covenanter" 2.7-8 (1864): 229, 253.]

In 1875, the church had 70 communicant members, ["Statistics of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. "Reformed Presbyterian and Covenanter" 13.7 (1875): 251.] the most in its history. The church's membership began to decline consistently around 1900, and by 1925 there were only 19 members.From various Minutes of Synod, visible at http://www.rparchives.org/index.htm under the "Covenanter", "Reformed Presbyterian", and "Minutes of Synod" tags] The congregation was officially disorganized by the death of one of its two remaining elders in early 1940, [ [http://www.rparchives.org/data/1940.pdf "Minutes of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America 1940"] . Pittsburgh: Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, 1940, p. 70.] although a few people remained on the roll of the "Vernon Mission" as late as 1949. [ [http://www.rparchives.org/data/1949.pdf "Minutes of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America 1949"] . Pittsburgh: Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, 1949, p. 170.] By 1940, the congregation was not worshipping in its building, although after the church was disorganized, the remaining members replaced the building's roof in 1942 in accordance with their goal to see services restarted. [ [http://www.rparchives.org/data/1942.pdf "Minutes of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America 1942"] . Pittsburgh: Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, 1942, p. 64.] Vernon was not listed in the denomination's official records after 1949.

National Register

Although the structure has not been used for Reformed Presbyterian services in seventy years, it is still known as the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Vernon. Its Greek Revival style of architecture led to its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places on 1999-01-07. [ [http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/990115.htm National Register of Historic Places Listings January 15, 1999] , National Park Service. Accessed 2008-06-26.]

ee also

* List of Registered Historic Places in Wisconsin

References