As she was compiling information about Orland Park’s history of its houses of worship, Sarah Konzen was surprised at how many times some of the buildings had changed hands.
For example, the iconic “Twin Towers” church, built in 1898, in old downtown Orland Park once housed the Faith United Methodist congregation and is now managed by the Old Orland Heritage Foundation and is used as a venue for weddings and community events.
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The Methodist congregation had moved to another building in 1961 before moving again in recent years to a structure on 151st Street and 80th Avenue that had once housed the Calvary Church.
The Calvary congregation moved to a building at 161st Street and 104th Avenue in 2011.
One major factor for all the moving, Konzen explained, is that as the population of Orland Park grew so did the need for larger buildings for its congregations.
“Early settlers worshipped together in their houses,” Konzen said in a news release. “And once the one-room schools were built, they began holding services in the schools.
“As the community grew so did the need for a church building.”
Konzen’s efforts are showcased in the Worship in Orland exhibit, which opened Saturday at the Orland Park History Museum, 14415 Beacon Ave.
The exhibit features displays, artifacts and photos of the 18 houses of worship — 17 churches and one mosque — in the village.
“Those really cool photos and artifacts really make the exhibit what it is,” said Konzen, the curator of the exhibit.
She also researched and posted brief stories about each worship building’s history.
Several visitors stopped by the exhibit on its opening day, including Alana Harden of Orland Park and her daughter Daphne Bechrakis.
“It’s fun to find out how and when the churches started,” Harden said. “I didn’t realize St. Michael’s was that old.”
St. Michael’s Parish celebrated its 150th anniversary last year.
St. Michael’s, Twin Towers and the Lutheran Church were the primary places of worship in the village until it started to expand after World War II.
Visitor Gale Stambor, of Orland Park, stopped by looking for the display for her church, Our Lady of the Woods.
Her parish was founded in 1984 by members of St. Michael’s.
The Our Lady of the Woods Parish held its first Mass in St. Coletta Chapel in Palos Park but made Orland Park its home in 1991 when a new building was dedicated.
Stambor also enjoyed seeing the Victorian era woman’s dress and man’s suit on display.
“I love all period pieces,” she said. “I wish people still dressed like this.”
Konzen said the attire is included to demonstrate how going to church in the late 19th and early 20 centuries was a very formal event.
She said people would usually only bathe once a week and that was on a Saturday night in a copper tub, so they could look their best on Sunday when they rode their horse carriages to church service.
The exhibit also features newer houses of worship, such as Orland Park Prayer Center mosque, which was built in 2015.
And the exhibit includes photos of some historic church buildings that have since been demolished, such as the parsonage for the Methodist’s Twin Towers, which was torn down in 2006.
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In 1987, a former Methodist pastor requested permission from the village board to tear down the Twin Towers Church itself to make room for a parking lot.
The board denied the request.
The exhibit runs through September. The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
Frank Vaisvilas is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.