The first church built in the settlement of Avon Park was the nearly completed Union Evangelical Church, where the first services were held on September 11, 1892. The 36 feet by 42 feet structure, with a small tower, had been under construction since November 1890. The church was paid for by gifts and pledges from people interested in a place of public worship. On October 6, 1893, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Crosby donated this valuable land to the Union Congregational Church.