Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church (Millville, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church
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The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church from the south
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bridge Street, Millville, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1874 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 88003086 |
| Designated | January 19, 1989 |
The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church is a historic church building in Millville, Minnesota. It was built in 1874. Over the years, different groups of people used it. These groups included Swedish, Norwegian, and German immigrant families.
The church and its nearby cemetery are very important locally. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means they are recognized for their role in showing the history of European families who moved to Wabasha County, Minnesota. It is special because it is the only old church from that time that is still standing.
History of the Church
Building a Place to Worship
The church community started in 1869. It was formed by Swedish immigrant families who had settled in the area. They wanted to build a church, but they did not have enough money at first. It took them until 1874 to gather the funds.
When they finally had the money, they used simple materials. They got wood and stone for the building. The stone was a buff-colored limestone. It was taken from the land of one of the church members. Even the inside parts, like the benches (called pews) and the pulpit (where the preacher stands), were made by hand. All the materials cost $802.60.
A Church for Many Communities
After the church was built, it faced some challenges. Many of the Swedish families moved to other places further west. Because of this, Norwegian-American families started using the church. They used it until 1914.
In 1905, another group, the Grace German Evangelical Church, began holding services there. Other groups also used the church until 1967. After that, the building was empty for a while. In the late 1970s, the Millville Historical Association bought the church. They helped to save this important piece of history.
See also
- List of Lutheran churches
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wabasha County, Minnesota
