Filed Under Joliet

Joliet Christian Church

Joliet Residential Historic District

"Chief shepherd" Walter Jordan and "singing evangelist" Lucile Park preached to a packed house at an October 1908 revival meeting, held above the meat market on Joliet's Main Street. Forty-five charter members joined together to found the Joliet Christian Church that night, including high school principal and ordained Christian minister Oliver Shanklin, who served as 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 like their Election Day luncheon, soon a Joliet tradition, combined with contributions from more established Christian Churches to provide the needed funds. Local carpenter Charles Hemery and his son Raymond designed the vernacular building and, assisted by many community volunteers, completed the wood-frame church in time for a June 2, 1909, dedication service. Precise attention to detail reflects the care paid during construction. The gable-roofed church, ornamented by Palladian windows, features a flared-roof belfry. A growing congregation supported remodeling of the basement in 1956, but the church's exterior still looks much as it did in 1909.

Images

Joliet Christian Church
Joliet Christian Church Joliet Christian Church (PAc 91-51 Joliet R02-6 F22). Front to side view of the church building, facing south to southwest on the corner of South 1st Street and Highway 212. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: Apr. 1985
Joliet Christian Church
Joliet Christian Church Joliet Christian Church (PAc 91-51 Joliet R02-9 F11). Front view of the church building, facing west to southwest on Highway 212. B&W. Source: Montana State Historic Preservation Office from the Photograph Archives at the Montana Historical Society Creator: Photographer unidentified Date: Apr. 1985
Joliet Christian Church
Joliet Christian Church Facade Source: Montana Historical Society Creator: Bryan Baldwin Date: July 24, 2022
Joliet Christian Church
Joliet Christian Church Northwest elevation Source: Montana Historical Society Creator: Bryan Baldwin Date: July 24, 2022

Location

101 South 1st Street, Joliet, Montana | Private

Metadata

The Montana National Register Sign Program, “Joliet Christian Church,” Historic Montana, accessed March 29, 2024, https://historicmt.org/items/show/119.