Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church

Introduction

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Home to the second oldest Lutheran congregation in the state, Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is one of Fort Wayne's most recognizable landmarks. It was built in 1889 and is one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in northern Indiana. For this reason, coupled with its association with the congregation, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Its most prominent feature, the tower, reaches a height of 214 feet. The church also features vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. The congregation itself was founded in 1837 and was one of the first of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The congregation has owned this site since 1839 and built its original church at that time.

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Backstory and Context

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The church is the congregation's third house of worship built on this site (the second was constructed in 1847). Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the church in 1903, leaving just the foundations and walls intact. The congregation rebuilt it and work was completed in 1905. Over the ensuing decades, the church was renovated and modernized. The congregation also built a school in 1913, which was renovated in 2000.

Sources

"The History of Our Church." Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Accessed April 5, 2019. http://www.stpaulsfw.org/index.php/history.

Wayne Jones & Rosella Foelber. "Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. March 1, 1982. https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/r/1d446/N/St_Pauls_Evangelical_Lutheran_Church_Allen_CO_Nom.pdf.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Paul%27s_Evangelical_Lutheran_Church_(Fort_Wayne,_Indiana)#/media/File:Iglesia_Luterana_de_San_Pablo,_Fort_Wayne,_Indiana,_Estados_Unidos,_2012-11-12,_DD_02.jpg

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