National Register of Historic Places

Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church

Manistee, Manistee County, Michigan
Listed
August 20, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72000639

About this property

Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church, also known as the Danish Lutheran Church, is a historic church located at 300 Walnut Street in Manistee, Michigan. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The building is the oldest existing Danish Lutheran church in the United States. Ground was broken on this church, then named the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church in May 1868, with construction done by Christian Petersen. However, construction money ran out, and the church building was not completed until the next year. The first worship service was held in the church on August 1, 1869, but the church still lacked a church tower, ceiling, organ, and pews. These were added slowly, with the tower being dedicated in 1888. However, doctrinal disputes within the greater Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church caused Swedes and Norwegians to form their own denominations, and in 1875, the congregation in Manistee renamed their church the Danish Lutheran Church in Manistee. In 1924, it was renamed Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church, and it operated until 1962 when the Danish Lutheran Church merged with other Scandinavian denominations. The church is open to visitors in the summer and includes a museum about the Danish-American history of Manistee County, Michigan. Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church is a rectangular structure measuring 50 feet by 32 feet by 18 feet. It contains nine windows: three on each side and three in front. With classic Danish architectural influences, the church featuring an elaborate hand carved altar. Favrholdt, E. M. (1926) Labour in the vineyard : 55 years history of the Danish Lutheran Church in Manistee, Michigan, 1868-1923 (Manistee, MI: The Congregation of Our Saviors Lutheran Church) Nyholm, Paul C. (1963) The Americanization of the Danish Lutheran churches in America, a study in immigrant history (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Pub. House) Our Saviors Historic Society - Visit Manistee County

Location

300 Walnut St.
Manistee, Manistee County, Michigan
44.24358, -86.32079

Categories

EUROPEANARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Guardian Angels Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Congregational Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ramsdell Theatre
Industrial
0.2 mi
Babcock, Simeon, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Manistee Central Business District
Listed
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church listed on the National Register?

Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church?

Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church?

The period of significance for Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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