Tag Archives: Lutheran Church

Grace Lutheran Church

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Springfield was formally organized in the home of the Rev. Francis Springer on Sept. 19, 1841. Springer, who was born in Pennsylvania, had arrived in Springfield with his wife and daughter in May of 1839, … Continue reading

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Illinois State University (Springfield)

Illinois State University – no relation to the current ISU in Bloomington-Normal – operated in Springfield from 1852 to 1870. The Lutheran-backed college originally opened in Hillsboro in 1847, when it was officially named the Literary and Theological Institute of … Continue reading

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Rev. Francis Springer

The Rev. Francis Springer (1810-92) is considered the father of Lutheranism in Springfield. A service he held in his home in 1841 led to the founding of the first Lutheran congregation in the city. That church later evolved into both … Continue reading

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Springfield Hospital and Training School

A home on the northwest corner of Fifth Street and North Grand Avenue in Springfield was the genesis of today’s Memorial Medical Center. The house was built by T.S. Little, described in 1874 as a “clothier and merchant tailor” with a shop … Continue reading

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Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was created when Springfield’s Evangelical Lutheran congregation, organized in 1841 in the home of the Rev. Francis Springer, split into German and English wings in 1854. In 1854, the trustees of the Evangelical Lutheran Church were … Continue reading

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