The Hickory Schoolhouse was made of hand hewn hickory logs and located on the William Mills farm, 1/2 mile south of the present New Hope Church. The school building was also used as a meeting place for church services. Bethel was the nearest church and was pastored by Rev. Noah Haddock, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister.

The log schoolhouse was replaced by a frame structure in the same location. In the year 1887, a revival was held in the new school building. Rev. Millard Hole of Hunt City, Illinois and from the New Lite denomination was the preacher. This revival awakened the interest of the whole community. Settlers in the area and members of these two Christian groups (the Cumberland Presbyterians and New Lites), recognizing the need of a church, worked together in donating their time, talents, native lumber, and money to build a church building in the same location as the present church facility. The building was dedicated in June of 1890. The two denominations shared the facility and held a union Sunday School known as the Mount Olive Sunday School. The Cumberland Presbyterian congregation was formally organized on April 18, 1891 with the official name of New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church, although people continue to call it "the Hickory Church." A new stone building was erected in 1969 and a fellowship addition was built in 1988 to complete the current facility.
[Source: Undated information in church file.]

NEW HOPE CHURCH, 1891--, 4 1/2 mi. NE. of Yale, RFD. 1, Yale, Jasper County.

Organized April 18, 1891 by Rev. Noah Haddock with 7 members. Congregation met in building now in use which had been built by New Light church organization from whom the structure, a plain frame building, was later purchased. First settled pastor, Rev. Noah Haddock, 1891-95.

Present pastor, Rev. Roscoe Deverick, 1939--, Oblong.

Session Minutes: 1930--, 1 v. hdw., in custody of Session Clerk, Virgil Martin; contain short historical sketch.

Register: (baptisms, members, deaths), 1930-- included in Session Minutes.

[Source: Inventory of the Church Archives of Illinois. Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Prepared by Illinois Historical Records Survey. Division of community service programs. Work Projects Administration. Feb. 1942, page 131.]

1892
Name of the Congregation: New Hope
Clerk of the Session and Post-Office: M. E. Mills, Yale, Ill.
Pastor: Thos. Deverick
Total Membership 10
Foster Presbytery - Synod of Illinois
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1892, page 192]

1893
Name of the Congregation: New Hope
Clerk of the Session and Post-Office: M. E. Mills, Yale, Ill.
Pastor: none listed
Total Membership 10
Foster Presbytery - Synod of Illinois
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1893, page 194]

1894
Name of the Congregation: New Hope
Clerk of the Session and Post-Office: M. E. Mills, Yale, Ill.
Pastor: none listed
Total Membership 10
Foster Presbytery - Synod of Illinois
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1894, page 208]

1895
Name of the Congregation: New Hope
Clerk of the Session and Post-Office: M. E. Mills, Yale, Ill.
Pastor: none listed
Total Membership 10
Foster Presbytery - Synod of Illinois
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1895, page 216]

1906
Name of Church: New Hope
Clerk of the Session and Post Office: George Haddock, Bellair, Ill.
Minister Now in Charge: J. M. Wyckoff
Total Number of Members: 26
Foster Presbytery - Synod of Illinois
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1906, page 57a]