Shorewood A Look Back
A century of worship
The “little white church” was the North Shore Presbyterian congregation’s first home. After the congregation moved, several businesses occupied the building until it was demolished in 2018 and replaced by North Shore Bank.
Concerned about the spiritual well-being of Shorewood children he noticed playing in the streets on Sunday mornings, a Milwaukee Presbyterian minister decided to start a Sunday school class in the Village in the early 1920s. Classes were held in a storefront on Atwater Road (now East Capitol Drive) and in the old jail in the Village Hall basement. The Sunday school’s success led to the formation of a new congregation. Called the Shorewood Presbyterian Church, it began with 32 charter members. On June 16, 1922, its first official service was held in the Atwater Road storefront. The congregation immediately began drawing up plans for a church building at the corner of North Oakland Ave. and East Kenmore Place. The building, known as the “little white church,” was completed March 30, 1924, and served as a place of worship until 1952. The congregation’s current building, a Georgian colonial at 4048 N. Bartlett Ave., was dedicated on March 16, 1952. The congregation re-christened itself North Shore Presbyterian Church to reflect a growing membership beyond Shorewood. A brick memorial patio was built in front of the church in 2002 to facilitate outdoor summer worship. The hospitable North Shore Presbyterian community welcomes visitors to services, provides space for community meetings and Village programs, and serves as a Village voting location. The congregation celebrates its centennial on Sunday, June 12. Photo and information courtesy of the Shorewood Historical Society. 42 SHOREWOOD TODAY SUMMER 2022
