First Lutheran Church in Nebraska
Posted by: 
NevaP
N 42° 24.761 W 096° 25.047
14T E 712499 N 4698828
Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Dakota City is the first Lutheran Church built in Nebraska.
Waymark Code: WM4MM3
Location: Nebraska, United States
Date Posted: 09/07/2008
Views: 7
The church is now maintained and preserved as a museum by the Dakota County Historical Society. It is used for special events but is not open on a regular basis.
A Nebraska Historical marker at the site gives the history of the church:
"Near here stands the first Lutheran church building constructed in Nebraska. It has occupied this site since 1860.
The congregation was first served by Reverend Henry W. Kuhns, a missionary sent by the Allegheny Synod to Nebraska Territory. Kuhns preached his first sermon in the front room of the Bates House (hotel) in November 1850 and formally organized the church on July 22, 1859.
The membership immediately made plans for building, but their effort of moving an abandoned store from the abandoned town of Pacific City was frustrated when the structure was destroyed by a prairie fire while being moved to Dakota City.
This church was designed and built by Augustus T. Haase, a local carpenter and member of the Emmanuel Lutheran congregation, at a cost of $2,000. For several years the building also served periodically as a Territorial courthouse, with religious services being held on Sunday as usual. Samuel Aughey, a leading scientist of the period, was the second pastor to serve the church.
This old church still stands as a monument to the steadfastness of purpose of the early settler and as a symbol of pioneer religious life."
The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Place or Location
Date of FIRST: 01/01/1860
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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