Outagamie County, WI - "Lutheran Congregation Dates to 1867"
       
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Subject: newspaper article "Lutheran Congregation Dates to 1867"
Submitted by: county coordinator 
EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com
Date Submitted: 15 March 2000
       
Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -                 Lutheran Congregation Dates to 1867
     Hortonville has had a regular Lutheran preaching station since 1867.
     But members of the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church date their anniversaries from Aug. 14, 1870 -- the
dedication of their first church building.
     In January of 1897 the congregation voted to build a new church on the cornerof Nash and Embarrass Sts.  Five days later the first stones were hauled for the basement of the church.
     Less than three months later bids were opened for the building of the church.  The bid was let to the local Diestler
Lumber Co. for $5,165, Later, $500 was added to the total.
     The cornerstone of the new church was laid SundayJune 13, 1897.  The church was dedicated Sunday, Nov. 28, 1897.  That day, the second English service in the history of the
congregation was conducted.
     The present church is solid brick in Gothic style.  The church tower is about 100 feet high.  An extensive redmodeling
of the original building took place in 1960.                      Christian Day School Built
In 1882 the Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran congregation established a Christian Day School.  Church members built a one-
room school on the present church site.
     In 1897 the school was moved to the rear of the church.  Classes were taught by the church pastors for many years.
     The school term increased from six to nine months through the years up to 1911.  In 1920 an eighth grade class was
added.
  The present school was built in 1908 and two rooms added in 1949.