St. John's Lutheran Church

Front: On November 20, 1853, St. John's was organized by members of the German Colonization Society of Charleston, S.C. who founded the town of Walhalla in 1850. Services were originally held in a house in West Union which was purchased from Col. Joseph Gresham and belonged to Jacob Schroder. The present structure was begun in 1859 and dedicated on March 17, 1861. Reverse: John Kaufmann designed and directed the building of St. John's with the assistance of August Brennecke and members of the congregation. Most of the heart pine timbers were cut from the site on which the church stands. Many of the architectural features are distinctive and unique to St. John's. Except for the stained glass windows, placed in 1910, the church has changed little since 1861.