National Register of Historic Places

St. John's Lutheran Church

Walhalla, Oconee County, South Carolina
Listed
November 24, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80003692

About this property

St. John's Lutheran Church, also known as St. John's German Evangelical Church of Walhalla, is a historic church at 301 W. Main Street in Walhalla, South Carolina. The church was built by The German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation due to the nearest church being unduly far for many Walhalla residents. It was planned in 1858, the same year the congregation voted to allow sermons to be held in English, with the ground being cleared in early 1859 and construction finished in 1861. The civil war soon lead to issues with the church's management, as much of the congregation fought in the Confederate Army. Once they came back, the church faced financial issues due to the prevalence of Confederate notes and other useless forms of paper money in the treasury, though this improved through slight ways. In the later 1860s, a bell was added to the church and kerosene lights replaced candles. Eventually, the bell came out of use, presumably before the replacement of the Town Clock and its pairing bell in 1888. This bell is still in use, shaking the building when it sounds. The original plain glass windows were replaced with stained glass in 1910. Until the 1960s, a major source of lighting for the church was a chandelier, now in the foyer of the parish house. The modern Parish House, Church Office, and Fellowship Hall were built from 1969–1971. The Sunday School Building was renovated in 1973–1974. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Who We Are. (n.d.). St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church Walhalla, SC. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://www.stjohnswalhalla.org/who-we-are/ Shealy, George B. (1990). Walhalla: A German Settlement in Upstate South Carolina (pp. 78–79). Blueridge Art Association. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: St. John's Lutheran Church (Walhalla, South Carolina)

Location

301 W. Main St.
Walhalla, Oconee County, South Carolina
34.76521, -83.06957

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURERELIGION
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

Oconee County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Oconee County Cage
Industrial
0.2 mi
Walhalla Graded School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Keil Farm
Industrial
2.4 mi
Stumphouse Tunnel Complex
Industrial
4.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Killing of Cherokee Warriors Near Fort Prince George 1759
1759Colonial
14.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. John's Lutheran Church listed on the National Register?

St. John's Lutheran Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 24, 1980.

What type of historic resource is St. John's Lutheran Church?

St. John's Lutheran Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. John's Lutheran Church?

The period of significance for St. John's Lutheran Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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