National Register of Historic Places

First Baptist Church

Lake Crystal, Blue Earth County, Minnesota
Listed
July 27, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80001938

About this property

First Baptist Church is a historic church in Garden City, Minnesota, United States. The town, along the Watonwan River, was originally established in 1856 as Fremont. A Baptist congregation was formed in the community in 1858, and eight years later, the church was formally organized. In 1867, the membership split amidst a disagreement between members who wanted a more aggressive evangelical mission and members who wanted the status quo. One of the groups moved ahead with plans to build a church, contracting for the delivery of logs to a nearby sawmill. The sawmill was unable to receive the logs before winter came, though, and the logs were washed away in spring flooding. The congregation then made plans to build a church from concrete blocks made in the town by the firm of Geist and Hentzelman. This structure is believed to be the earliest in the state built of concrete block or artificial stone. The structure was dedicated on January 17, 1869, and the two groups reunited and used it jointly. It measures 33 feet (10 m) by 55 feet (17 m) and was completed at a cost of $4,100. Congregationalists and Presbyterians also held services in this building for a time as a combined congregation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Location

Lake Crystal, Blue Earth County, Minnesota
44.04734, -94.16684

Categories

ENGINEERINGEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
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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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

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Seppman Mill
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Questions about this property

When was First Baptist Church listed on the National Register?

First Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 1980.

What type of historic resource is First Baptist Church?

First Baptist Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for First Baptist Church?

The period of significance for First Baptist Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near First Baptist Church?

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