St. Anne's Church

St. Anne's church is nestled in the middle of a long block of beautiful turn-of-the-century homes in this small town in Southern Illinois, founded in 1856. Across the street from the church is the massive brick "Keyhole House", so-called because of the shape of its large front window. Two doors west of St. Anne's is the house where Abraham Lincoln is said to have stayed when he came for the debate in Jonesboro in 1857. In the block east of the church is the beautiful and unique Stinson memorial Library, designed by Walter Burley Griffin, architectural student of Frank Lloyd Wright.

This diminutive church is important to our community as a reminder of our past. The cornerstone is dated 1886, and a booklet printed in 1945 titled "Garden Club Tour Notes" states that it "is the oldest original church in Anna, as well as the most picturesque." The architectural style is charming, and according to a report by the Illinois Historic Structures Survey, is of "special distinction". In the book printed in 1988 by the Southern Illinois University Press, Vernacular Architecture in Southern Illinois, it is described as a "fieldstone structure...built in Gothic Revival style, characterized by the overall vertical emphasis of the building, its steep gabled roof, and lancet-shaped windows." An article in "Outdoor Illinois" of March 1974 states "It is a beautifully proportioned structure with walls of fieldstone laid in irregular courses, pointed arches of finely cut stone over the windows, and shingles in the gables...The building is certainly one of the finest small religious edifics in the state and deserves careful preservation because of its architectural and romantic--or nostalgic--qualities."

Sadly, St. Anne's Episcopal Church at 507 S. Main St. in Anna, Illinois is currently in a tragic state. Left vacant since the 1970's, it shows the wear of neglect and the destruction of vandals. The shingles are missing from the roof and some water damage has occurred. One large section of the interior wooden vaulted ceiling is discolored because of this.

At the time of the congregation's disbanding in the 1970's, the bell was taken to the Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, Illinois. The altar, pews, and other religious artifacts were given to area Episcopal churches. The light fixtures were stolen, and the interior plaster walls marked with graffiti. The wooden floor is mostly intact, but is yet to be determined if it is salvageable.

Possibly the steep pitch of the roof and the sturdy stone construction have saved this little church from completely deteriorating. The exposed rafters are in surprisingly good shape. The deep-welled windows, arched red front door, and round windows high in the gables all add to the beauty of the church.

One can imagine candles or kerosene lamps illuminating the early church, and horses and buggies waiting outside during services. Since Main St. was expanded to three lanes, no parking is allowed on the street. In the last years of services, the congregation had to park one half-block away at the Stinson Library.

Noisy semi-trailers now pass within 30 feet of the front door on busy highway 146, which goes through downtown Anna. But on a hot summer's day, one only has to step into the dark coolness of the thick stone walls to hear and feel the stillness of the past. This quaint little church which saw the streetcar passing by on its way to the Union County Courthouse in the early 1900's, will soon endure into its third century of watching Union County residents pass by.

L. Hileman
Vice-President of P.A.S.T.
Chairman St. Anne's Project