Westby Coon-Prairie Lutheran Church facts for kids
The Westby Coon-Prairie Lutheran Church is a Lutheran church located in Westby, Wisconsin. It is part of the ELCA, which is a large group of Lutheran churches. Pastor Alyssa Weaver currently leads the church. In 2023, the church had 1,039 members who had been baptized.
Church History
Quick facts for kids |
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Norwegian Evangelic Lutheran Church and Cemetery
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![]() Country Coon-Prairie Church
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Nearest city | Westby, Wisconsin |
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Area | 15 acres (6.1 ha) |
Built | 1910 |
Built by | Thorson, Theodore |
Architect | Parkinson & Dockendorff |
Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 86001719 |
Added to NRHP | July 14, 1986 |
The story of Westby Coon-Prairie Lutheran Church began a long time ago. On June 22, 1851, a pastor named Rev. C. L. Clausen came to the area that would become Westby, Wisconsin. He held church services in a local barn.
Just two years later, on July 12, 1853, the Coon Prairie Lutheran Church was officially started. Pastor Nels Brandt helped to establish it. The first full-time pastor for the church was Rev. H. A. Stub, who started in 1855.
Today, the church uses two main buildings for worship. The building in the city of Westby was built in 1909. It cost about $21,000 to build and is called Westby Coon-Prairie.
There is also another church building just outside of town. This one is called Country Coon-Prairie. It was built in 1910 on the very first spot where the church congregation met. Both buildings are used for services. However, the Country Coon-Prairie building is only used during the summer months.
The Country Coon-Prairie site is very special. It is also known as the Norwegian Evangelic Lutheran Church and Cemetery. It was designed by architects named Parkinson & Dockendorff. They used a style called Late Gothic Revival architecture. In 1986, this historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important places in the United States that are worth protecting.