Book Report by Diane Diamond
Updated Post, May 31, 2026 / It’s official! Bells rang out to commemorate the official landmarking proclamation by Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli for the historic First Congregational Church, located at 25 East Benton Ave., across from Central Park. During the presentation led by Landmarking Committee Taskforce Chair Vicki Keller, Mayor Wehrli also unveiled the plaque designating the landmark event.
Updated Post, May 27, 2026 / With introductions including a brief history, Vicki Keller will introduce Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli to make the formal declaration of Naperville’s first church to be landmarked at 11:15AM, Sunday, May 31, at the First Congregational Church, 25 East Benton Ave., Naperville. The public is invited.
The event will include the unveiling of the official bronze plaque and the official landmarking proclamation of the church, founded in 1833. Upon the proclamation, the church bells will ring to celebrate the story of how the church’s 1846 bell was rung to warn Naperville’s townspeople of a “midnight raid” by Wheaton residents carrying off the DuPage County records.
Original Post, May 11, 2026 / On February 17, 2026, the First Congregational Church of Naperville became the sixth building and the first church in Naperville to receive landmark status. Now, a book detailing the historic structure will be published, and copies can be ordered now.
Love & Justice: The Landmarking of the 1906 Building of the First Congregational Church of Naperville is a 224-page, 8 x 11” book that celebrates the church’s story from 1833 to the present. It features hundreds of color photographs and thousands of historical details about both the church and the City of Naperville.
Find a five-page preview at tinyurl.com/5PagesLoveJustice.
Readers will learn about the church’s noteworthy architect, appreciate the stories of its congregants—many of whom were prominent citizens of Naperville, and delight in the story of how the church’s bell was rung to warn Naperville’s townspeople of a “midnight raid” by Wheaton residents trying to steal DuPage County records.
Beginning in June, copies of the book will be available at Nichols Library, Naperville Preservation, Inc., Naper Settlement, North Central College’s Oesterle Library, and online through the Illinois Digital Archive, courtesy of Nichols Library.
To purchase a copy for a $28 donation, email Landmarking Task Force member Diane Diamond at landmark@loveandjustice.org. Delivery confirmed upon purchase.
First Congregational Church of Naperville Seeks Historic Landmark Status
