Golden Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church
| Golden Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church | |||
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| National Register of Historic Places | |||
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| location | Ralph , South Dakota | ||
| Coordinates | 45 ° 53 '6 " N , 102 ° 56' 33" W | ||
| Built | 1900s | ||
| Architectural style | Neo-Gothic | ||
| NRHP number | 64000794 | ||
| The NRHP added | April 10, 1987 | ||
Golden Valley Norwegian Lutheran Church is a historic Norwegian Lutheran church in Ralph , South Dakota . The church was built around 1921 in a "Rural Gothic Style " and in 1987 was added to the National Register of Historic Places . The church is now privately owned.
architecture
The building consists of a simple frame structure. The small two-story church tower in the east also forms the entrance. A staircase leads up to the entrance. There is also an “outhouse” (shed). The nave is simple. The altar with Norwegian carvings shows an ascension scene . The sacrament barriers are made of the same wood as the altar.
history
In the late 19th century and in the early 1900s, the great was Indian reserve of Lakota reduced and for a settlement of white " Homesteadern opened". The Milwaukee Road Railroad was built and many homesteaders traveled to the area in northwestern South Dakota.
Numerous Norwegians settled between 1902 and 1910 and there were still several ethnic enclaves in the area, including Ukrainian and German settlements. The Norwegians first built a church building out of turf . Their remains can still be seen on the highway from Reeder , North Dakota (approx. 12 miles , 18 km south of the current building at a curve at Grassy Butte ). When this first church became weathered, the Norwegian community decided to build a new church. It was built in 1921 through voluntary work and donations from the community. The church was also the social center of the community and there were ice cream socials , performances and concerts and singing lessons.
As the farms grew larger and more efficient, the population around the church decreased. In the late 1960s, the church ceased to exist. The land on which the church stands remained in the possession of the donor family. The property was later acquired by Kit and Barbara Johnson and, after Kit's death, was managed by Barbara Johnson. The family runs the surrounding farm and a supporters' association has been formed which, with the help of the Christiansen, Johnson and Howe families, maintains the building and the adjoining cemetery.
The church now stands alone on a gentle slope of Grassy Butte with a panoramic view of the area. The church is well preserved and the graves of the founding families can be found in the cemetery.
Individual evidence
- ↑ theoldchurchproject.wordpress.com .
- ↑ Lance Christiansen, DO., Grandson of Knut K. Johnson one of the founders of the Golden Valley Lutheran Church Harding / Perkins Counties, South Dakota, USA.
Web links
- Entry on the National Register of Historic Places.
- dailytimewaster.blogspot.com .
- theoldchurchproject.wordpress.com .