Galesburg in Knox County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Beecher Chapel

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023

1. Beecher Chapel Marker

Inscription. Site of Beecher Chapel, first brick church in Galesburg, built in 1858 and named after its first minister, Edward Beecher. Often used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Razed 1966.

Erected 1987 by Pilot Club of Galesburg.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.

Location. 40° 56.745′ N, 90° 22.258′ W. Marker is in Galesburg, Illinois, in Knox County. It is on South Broad Street north of East Tompkins Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Galesburg IL 61401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this

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marker: Original Site of Galesburg Sr. High School (within shouting distance of this marker); Tompkins Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Spanish-American War Cannon (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mary A. Bickerdyke (about 400 feet away); Knox County Soldiers Monument (about 500 feet away); Knox County Armed Forces Memorial (about 500 feet away); Galesburg, Illinois (about 600 feet away); Lincoln-Douglas Debate (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Galesburg.

Also see . . . The Beecher Chapel Marker. On March 9, 1855, forty-seven members of the First Church which stood on the southwest corner of the Public Square, asked to be dismissed. Their intention was to start a new religious body named the First Congregational Church. (Barbara Schock, Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association, posted Aug. 8, 2022) (Submitted on August 7, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023

2. Beecher Chapel Marker

Beecher Chapel image. Click for full size.

Unknown; Galesburg Public Library via Upper Mississippi Valley Digital Image Archive (Public Domain), 1858

3. Beecher Chapel

The First Congregational Church (center), also known as Beecher Chapel, lost its steeple in an 1858 storm. Also seen are an unidentified office and home (left) and the Female Seminary Building (right), later known as Whiting Hall.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 667 times since then and 79 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 7, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.