Augustus Lutheran Church Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Augustus Lutheran Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Augustus Lutheran Church
Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	717 Main Street, Trappe, Pennsylvania
Built	1743; 282 years ago (1743)
Architect	Heinrich Melchior Muhlenburg
NRHP reference No.	67000019
Added to NRHP	December 24, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-12-24)
Designated NHL	December 24, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-12-24)

Augustus Lutheran Church is a very old and important church located in Trappe, Pennsylvania. It's a Lutheran church that was officially opened in 1745. This makes it the oldest Lutheran church building still standing in the United States!

Even today, the church is used for special services. People gather there on Christmas Eve and during the summer months. Because of its long history, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1967.

History of the Church
Images for kids
See also

History of the Church

The area around Trappe was settled by German families in 1717. For a while, they didn't have a regular church building. They would meet informally or listen to traveling preachers.

Everything changed when Heinrich Melchior Mühlenberg arrived in 1742. He helped the community build their first church. The building cost about 200 pounds sterling, which was a lot of money back then!

Building the First Church

Mühlenberg himself helped design the church. All the parts inside, like the pulpit, were made from local materials. For example, the pulpit was crafted from American black walnut wood.

The church building is made of red sandstone. Today, it has a stucco covering on the outside. The east side of the building has a special three-sided shape.

Above the south entrance, there's a stone with Latin writing. It lists the names of the church's founders. These include Henry Melchior Muhlenberg and others like Frederick Marsteller.

The roof of the church is built with strong oak wood. It was originally covered with cedar shingles.

The Church Cemetery

Behind the church, there is a cemetery. Some tombstones there date back to 1736 or even earlier.

Important people are buried in this cemetery. You can find the graves of Henry Muhlenberg and his wife, Anna Maria Weiser. Their children, Mary Swaine and General Peter Muhlenberg, are also buried there.

Opening and Early Years

The main structure of the church was finished in 1743. However, it wasn't officially opened until 1745.

The church was named after August Hermann Francke. He was a famous German religious leader. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg had studied at Francke's foundations in Germany.

During the American Revolution, the church played a different role. It was used as a camp and even a hospital for the Continental Army. At the west end of the church, there's a monument. It honors unknown soldiers from the Revolutionary War who are buried in the cemetery.

Growing and Changing

By the mid-1800s, the church congregation had grown too big for the old building. So, a new brick church was built nearby. This new church was opened in 1852.

After the new church was built, the old Augustus Lutheran Church was used for Sunday School classes. In 1860, a big thunderstorm badly damaged the roof. But instead of tearing it down, they decided to fix it!

At that time, a cast-iron stove was added to the church. Before this, the building had no heat. In the 1920s, more renovations took place. These changes helped restore the church to look like it did when it was first built.

Since the late 1950s, services have been held in the Old Church again. This happens during the summer and on Christmas Eve. This tradition continues to this day. In the early 1990s, a modern digital organ was placed inside the original organ case.

The church was officially recognized as a National Historic Landmark on December 24, 1967.