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ROHRER CHAPEL [c. 1876 - 2016 | Waverly, IL (Morgan County)]

ROHRER CHAPEL  [c. 1876 - 2016 | Waverly, IL (Morgan County)]

Built on a hill, in rural Morgan County, IL, the Rohrer Chapel was a place where members of the local community would gather and worship. The Rohrer Chapel was lined with a unique diagonal design and had beautiful arched windows with stained glass. It has been told that campfire lanterns would hang from the trees surrounding the chapel in the evening.

From historical texts, we know that the Rohrer family with instrumental in the fabrication of Rohrer Chapel. In October 1827, Jonathan and Mary (Traughber) Rohrer moved from Logan County, KY to Illinois and settled on 240 acres of government land, which cost $1.25 per acre. Albert Rohrer, oldest son of Jonathan and Mary, was born in March of 1830. Albert donated the land which Rohrer Chapel was located on and contributed toward its construction. Wilburn G. Rohrer, one of the builders of Rohrer Chapel, was born in April 1835. Wilburn, who served in the Civil War, joined in August 14, 1862, rank PVT Company G Unit 101 IL US Infantry. Wilburn charged $100 for the construction of this beautiful building and when he finished early, he was paid $125. Wilburn’s obituary stated, “during his declining years there was much that Mr. Rohrer loved to talk about, that which lay closest to his heart being his church.”

Our goal at Sangamon Reclaimed is to honor our past and preserve it for future generations to come. The heirloom-quality pieces we built allow this structure to live on for years to come.

-Bring History Home -

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