Renner Lutheran Sanctuary
National Register of Historic Places

Renner Lutheran Sanctuary

Renner, Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Listed
May 6, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80003729

About this property

Renner Lutheran Church, also known as Nidaros Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church, is a historic church located in Renner, South Dakota. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Renner Lutheran Sanctuary. It is reportedly the oldest church in operation in South Dakota. The church was founded as Nidaros Church in 1868. First located in the sod home Norwegian immigrants John and Kirsti Thompson, a church was later built on the prairie roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Baltic, South Dakota. That church was later destroyed in a wind storm, and rebuilt in 1878. The original church's 100 foot steeple was believed to be the cause of its destruction, so a shorter steeple was selected during reconstruction. Additional churches were also constructed in the region to accommodate churchgoers, since frequent flooding along the Big Sioux River made travel difficult. The church was moved to Baltic around 1911 or 1912, since the town had no church of its own at the time. It was moved a second time in 1939 to Renner, South Dakota, where it stands today. The church has been in continuous operation for more than 125 years, and is considered the oldest operational church in the state of South Dakota. It is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America denomination. The church's altar was constructed in 1886, and remains a central fixture in the sanctuary. The church was renamed Renner Lutheran Church in 2009, to avoid confusion with the East and West Nidaros churches that were also part of the congregation.

Location

Renner, Minnehaha County, South Dakota
43.64548, -96.71635

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGION
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

Renner Ball Park
Modern
0.6 mi
Willow Grove Farm
Listed
3.4 mi
South Dakota Dept. of Trans. Bridge No. 50-196-104
Industrial
3.7 mi
South Dakota State Penitentiary Historic Buildings
Industrial
5.4 mi
South Dakota Department of Transportation Bridge No. 50-193-086
Industrial
5.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Renner Lutheran Sanctuary listed on the National Register?

Renner Lutheran Sanctuary was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Renner Lutheran Sanctuary?

Renner Lutheran Sanctuary is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Renner Lutheran Sanctuary?

The period of significance for Renner Lutheran Sanctuary is recorded as the industrial era.

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