Saxon Lutheran Memorial (Frohna, Missouri) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Christian A. Bergt Farm
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 296 Saxon Memorial Dr, Frohna, Missouri, 63748-9108, USA |
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| Area | 11.2 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Website | http://saxonlutheranmemorial.org/ |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002387 |
| Added to NRHP | January 10, 1980 |
The Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna, Missouri, is a special place that remembers a big journey. It honors the German Lutheran migration that happened between 1838 and 1839. This memorial has many old log cabins and items from that time. It first opened its doors in 1962. Later, in 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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Exploring the Saxon Lutheran Memorial
The Saxon Lutheran Memorial is a recognized historic site. In 2009, it was called the last complete home and farm from its time. This means it shows how people lived and farmed in the 1800s. The whole memorial helps us understand the journey and settlement of the Saxon people. It displays tools and household items from German farms in Perry County, Missouri.
The Bergt Farm Complex
The memorial is like an outdoor history museum. It is set up as a log cabin village on the old Bergt Farm. This farm has been open to visitors since 1964. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The farm covers about 30 acres.
The main building is a log-cabin frame house. It was the home of brothers Wilhelm and Christian Adolf Bergt. This house has been fixed up and now has old kitchen tools and furniture. The Bergt Home changed a lot over the years. A porch was added, then a lean-to for a kitchen and bedroom. Later, more rooms were built. Today, the house is where the museum's curator lives.
Other Buildings and Exhibits
The site also has a granary, which is a building for storing grain. There is a large timber frame barn that holds an even older log barn inside. Two other log buildings are also on the property. These buildings were built between the early 1800s and early 1900s.
The memorial also has a visitors' center. There is an outdoor museum area for old farm equipment. The memorial was officially opened on October 31, 1964. This date marked 125 years since the Saxon Immigration.
In 1990, a machine shed was added. It is full of old farm machines. Several other buildings have been moved to the site. These include the Fenwick Cabin and the Hamilton-Goehring Cabin. The Schuppan Haus and the 1904 Confirmation Room from Concordia Lutheran Church are also there. New buildings have also been built to show how settlers lived. These include a bake oven, a blacksmith shop, and a woodworking shop.
The History of the Saxon Lutherans
In the 1800s, in a place called the Kingdom of Saxony in Germany, a Lutheran pastor named Martin Stephan and his followers had problems. They disagreed with the main Lutheran Church. To practice their Christian faith freely, about 700 Saxon Lutherans left Germany. They sailed to the United States in November 1838.
Their ships arrived in New Orleans on January 5, 1839. One ship was lost at sea. Most of the remaining 600 immigrants settled in Perry County, Missouri, and near St. Louis. Christian Adolph Bergt was part of this group. He married Caroline Louise Voelker in 1841. In 1847, the Bergts bought land from an early settler named Thomas Twyman. The property stayed in the Bergt family until 1957.
The Concordia Historical Institute in St. Louis bought the property in 1961. It was then restored and opened to the public in 1964. It was called a "walk-in History Book" of German immigrant life in America.
Annual Fall Festival
The Saxon Lutheran Memorial holds a Fall Festival every year. It happens on the second Saturday in October. At the festival, you can see how people did things in the mid-1800s. There are demonstrations of blacksmithing and quilting. You can also see cross-cut sawing and cider-pressing. People show how to bake bread, butcher meat, and cook apple butter. You can also watch spinning and the making of brooms, shingles, and soap.
The festival also offers fun activities like horse-and-buggy rides. There is a silent auction, skits, and live music. You can enjoy food and buy handmade crafts.
Gallery
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A log cabin at the Saxon Lutheran Memorial
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A statue of Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther
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The Saxon Memorial grounds
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Another log cabin at the memorial
See also
- Concordia Log Cabin College (Altenburg, Missouri)
