Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church
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Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church from the west-southwest
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 8501 Garfield Avenue S., Webster Township, Minnesota |
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| Nearest city | Lonsdale, Minnesota |
| Built | 1899 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000945 |
| Added to NRHP | September 7, 2001 |
The Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church is a very old and important church building. It is located in Webster Township, Rice County, Minnesota. The church was first built in 1878. Then, it was rebuilt and made bigger in 1899. You can find it about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Minnesota State Highway 19. Its address is 8501 Garfield Avenue S, southeast of Lonsdale, Minnesota.
A Look Back: The Church's History
The Trondhjem Church was started by Norwegian immigrants. These were people who moved from Norway to America. On May 15, 1876, they decided to create a church. They named it "Throndhjem's Church." This name came from the old city of Trondheim in Norway. It also came from the Trondelag area there.
The first church building was put up in 1878. It was built in the same spot where the church stands today. The part of the church where the altar is, called the chancel, is from this first building. The Trondhjem Church has a mix of building styles. These include Greek Revival and Gothic Revival designs. It also has ideas from old Norwegian stave churches. Stave churches are unique wooden churches from Norway.
The first church in 1878 was shaped like a cross. This is called a cruciform plan. In 1899, most of this first church was taken down. Only the chancel was kept. A much larger building was then built around it. Many parts of the new church look like they were used before. They were probably reused from the first building.
The Church Today
In 1988, the Trondhjem Lutheran Church members moved. They built a new church about half a mile away. The old church building was then carefully fixed up. This was done by a group called the Trondhjem Community Preservation Society, Inc.
This group now holds events at the old church. They have a winter concert and an ice cream social in July. They also celebrate Syttende Mai, which is Norway's Constitution Day. These events help them raise money for the church.
The restoration of the old church was finished in 2002. The inside of the 1899 church was once decorated with hand-painted designs. These designs were made with a special paint called casein paint. Workers found these old paintings under layers of tin, paint, and wallpaper. The paintings were restored. If parts were missing, new art was created to match the original.
In 2001, the Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important historical places in the United States. It was added because of its historical meaning. The cemetery across the road from the church is also on this list. It was started even before the church building was there.
Images for kids
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Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church from the west-southwest
