Grayslake in Lake County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Story of This Land
Photographed by Tom Blasius, circa June 15, 2026
1. The Story of This Land Marker
Inscription.
In 1889 religious services were held in a store on the main street
of present-day Grayslake. The members of this group held a vote
to decide on a church affiliation and a Congregational Church was
organized. Property at the northeast corner of Lake and Center Streets
was purchased, and construction began in the fall of 1891. The
Grayslake Congregational Church was dedicated on March 20, 1892.
During the late 1940s, due to a lack of a Congregational minister, the
town's Methodist Church and the Congregational Church began
to worship together. The United Protestant Church officially organized
on June 20, 1950. The former Congregational Church building was
sold and became Grayslake's Masonic Temple.
The Rising Sun Lodge #115 A. F. and A.M. was chartered on October
22, 1851 in Hainesville, Illinois. Elijah M. Haines was appointed then
elected its first Worshipful Master. The Lodge was located in
several locations, and lost records and furnishings in an 1879 fire. In
1892 the Lodge moved to present-day Grayslake and met in many
different community halls. From 1907 to 1956, the Lodge leased
a hall on the second
Click or scan to see this page online
floor of a building at the northwest corner of
Whitney and Center Streets. In 1956 the Lodge purchased the former
Congregational Church building for its Masonic Temple. Many of the
building's historical features remain intact.
Rising Sun Lodge #115 is part of the international organization
of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, whose mission is to promote
community and human welfare and inspire acts promoting
benevolence, charity, and good will toward all mankind.
Erected in 2020 as a project of the Village of Grayslake
in commemoration of the Village's 125th Anniversary
Erected by Grayslake Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.
Location. 42° 20.667′ N, 88° 2.602′ W. Marker is in Grayslake, Illinois, in Lake County. It is on Center Street 0.1 miles east of North Lake Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Grayslake IL 60030, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American
Photographed by Tom Blasius, circa June 15, 2026
2. Rising Sun Lodge #115
Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 18, 2026, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 24 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 18, 2026, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.
