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The Evangelical Congregational Church of Highland Park marked its official founding on June 28, 1896, with the dedication of its newly erected church building, but the church’s origins date back further. The early church was comprised of German speaking pioneer settlers from Pennsylvania who had been members of the Evangelical Association found by Jacob Albright. In 1839, these settlers started a church in what is now North Northfield. Some of these church families relocated to Highland Park and formed a group that by 1873 was part of the Des Plains circuit. A church building was erected in 1883 on the northwest corner of Central Avenue and Green Bay Road. In 1894, the Illinois Conference of the United Evangelical Church was organized following a division of the Evangelical Association. The First United Evangelical Church of Highland Park was organized under this conference and construction began on the permanent church building.

Upon the dedication of the church building in 1896 by Bishop Rudolph Dubs, H. H. Thoren became the first pastor. The church originally held its services in German until introducing an English service in 1898 and the earliest records of the church are written in German. In 1913 the church sent out its first missionary, Homer Dubs, to China and enlarged the basement of the building. The church decided to remain independent during the merger of the two national denominations, The United Evangelical Church and the Evangelical Association in 1922. The interior of the church was remodeled in 1935. During the 1950s the basement was enlarged again, and the steeple lowered due to deterioration of the wood. On June 24, 1962, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a new Christian Education Building to provide more space. The completed building was dedicated on May 26, 1963, by Bishop H. H. Scanlin. The church became affiliated with the Evangelical Congregational Church headquartered in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, the successor to the United Evangelical Church. The last service at the Evangelical Congregational Church of Highland Park was held on December 28, 2010.

The collection is organized into eight series: Administrative Records; Organizations; Women’s Missionary Society and Sunday School; Special Days; Memorabilia; Photographs; Publications; and Miscellaneous. The records document the operations, activities, and members of the church as well as their relationship with regional and national church groups.

Original drawings of dwelling at 1135 Linden (1115 Linden, 1922-1952) in Highland Park, Illinois by architect John S Van Bergen. Photocopies of photographic images with descriptive notations.

The Robert S. Arnold Architectural Collection consists of architectural plans, site surveys, perspective sketches, contracts, and job schedules. The collection contains materials relating to the Highland Park Library, The Moraine Hotel, and several prominent Highland Park residents. Homes, buildings, and churches from the Chicagoland area can also be found in the collection including Kelly's Day Camp in Wheeling, Illinois, St. Martins Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, and the Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois. The collection also contains items relating to homes built outside the Chicagoland region, including those built in Troy, Alabama. This collection contains the exhibit plans for Arnold's submission for the Chicago Tribune's Chicagoland Prize Homes Exhibition. The collection originally contained 369 rolls. The collection still contains many of the rolls relating to Highland Park, Illinois. A large collection of rolls relating to Chicago, Illinois; Glencoe, Illinois; Wilmette, Illinois, and several other North Shore communities are missing. Seven rolls were deaccessioned to the Lake Forest Lake Bluff Historical Society in 2006. One roll was deaccessioned during 2010 processing as it did not fit in The Highland Park Historical Society's collection policy. It is unclear where the other rolls are located.

The Ernest A. Grunsfeld Jr collection contains hand drawn architectural plans, schedules, surveys, detailed notes, and blueprints. The collection is a combination of new construction undertaken by Grunsfled and various collaborators, including alterations Grunsfeld undertook on existing buildings. All the buildings covered are private residences and were built in the area now known as Highland Park, Illinois.

Diary/scrapbook and "memo" of Ravinia Village and School resident and participant Ellen Louise Greig documenting eighth grade at Ravinia School, 1911-1912; Autograph book of Salina More, 1896; and June 12, 1909 autograph book (Greig?).

Oil painting of unknown landscape by American painter who lived and worked with other artists in Ravinia "Cottages"

The collection is comprised of 470 lantern slides positives, chiefly in black and white. The slides range in date from the late 1890’s to the mid-1910’s. The largest series (93 slides) are illustrated biblical passages of the Old Testament. The collection also comprises images of the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy, the Wreck of the Maine in Havana, Cuba (1898), the Battle of Bacolod (1902), and the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Included in the slides are images of China, Alaska, Cuba, Philippines, and several unidentified locations and portraits.

This collection contains images and advertisements from the Brand Brothers Studio. Images range from the Brand family at various events to other local families and even individual people. All advertisements for this collection are for the Brand Brothers Studio and range from calling cards to calendars.