At an October 1908 revival meeting held above the meat market on Joliet’s Main Street, “chief shepherd” Walter Jordan and “singing evangelist” Lucile Park preached to a packed house, and forty-five charter members joined together that night to found the Joliet Christian Church. Among them was high school principal and ordained Christian minister Oliver Shanklin, who became the congregation’s first pastor. Shanklin led services at the Opera House while women members of the Christian Workers took the lead in raising money for a permanent sanctuary. Proceeds from events such as their Election Day luncheon, soon a Joliet tradition, together with contributions from more established Christian Churches, provided the needed funds. Local carpenter Charles Hemery and his son Raymond designed the vernacular building and, with the help of many community volunteers, completed the wood-frame church in time for a June 2, 1909, dedication service. Its precise attention to detail reflects the care given during construction. The gable-roofed church, ornamented by Palladian windows, features a flared-roof belfry, and although a growing congregation supported remodeling of the basement in 1956, the exterior still looks much as it did in 1909.