For nearly a decade, green space and a parking area off East Jefferson Street owned by the Village of Morton has been called “Church Square” by village residents.
But it wasn’t an official name.
The Morton Village Board made it official at a recent meeting, voting unanimously to approve the name for the property that was purchased by the village in 2015 from the Morton Apostolic Christian Church for $625,000.
“The Church Square name just sort of happened because there are lots of churches in Morton,” said Mayor Jeff Kaufman. “That’s what we’re all about. The board thought it was about time to make the name official.”
The weekly Morton Farmers Market N More has been held in Church Square for eight summers. This weekend, carnival rides for the Morton Pumpkin Festival are set up in Church Square.
The village’s purchase 10 years ago of the East Jefferson site raised eyebrows in town because of the site’s history. It had been the Morton Apostolic Christian Church’s spiritual home since 1867. Church buildings were constructed there in 1867, 1891 and 1913.
The 1891 church building was destroyed by an arson fire in 1912. The 1913 church building was built for $50,000. It was renovated in 1957 and 1989.
Even though the stately, 30,000-square-foot 1913 church building was one of the village’s best-known landmarks, it had issues with age, accessibility and functionality.
So church officials made the decision to sell the building site to the village because of the site’s proximity to the downtown Morton business area, and it was across the street from the Morton Pumpkin Festival grounds.
As part of the sale agreement, the church tore down its building at 225 E. Jefferson and turned the footprint into green space.
Business district sales tax and hotel/motel sales tax revenue, not taxpayer money, were used by the village to purchase the site.
The Morton School District contributed $220,000 to the sale price because it gained parking spaces for Jefferson Elementary School, which is across the street from the site.
A plaque commemorating the Morton Apostolic Christian Church’s time at the site was placed at the intersection of East Jefferson and North Third Avenue.
Morton Apostolic Christian Church moved in 2017 into a new 30,000-square-foot building at 2177 Veterans Road that’s close to the church’s Fellowship Hall and care facilities.
Sharyl Nuske, head of the PumpkinLand Community Events [PLACE] volunteer organization that puts on the Morton Farmers Market N More event, said she thinks it’s great that the Church Square name is official.
“That’s what we’ve always called it,” she said.
Permanent tables and umbrellas were added recently to Church Square, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Morton Community Foundation, $1,000 donation from PLACE, and $1,000 in donations from Morton Farmers Market N More sponsors.
A stone will be placed in Church Square listing the donors for the tables and umbrellas.
