St. John's Lutheran Church (Goshen, Indiana) Explained

St. John's Lutheran Church
Location:Northeastern corner of the junction of County Roads 15 and 32, west of Goshen, Harrison Township, Elkhart County, Indiana
Coordinates:41.5806°N -85.9056°W
Architect:Albert Galentine, George Apple
Architecture:Greek Revival
Added:November 25, 1994
Refnum:94001349

St. John's Lutheran Church is a historic former Lutheran church located in Harrison Township, Elkhart County, Indiana. It was built in 1852–1853 by Albert Galentine on land owned by John Rarick, Sr., who deeded the land to the "Evangelical Lutheran Church" in 1855. Services at the church ended in 1894 after John Rarick, Jr., the congregation's largest financial supporter, moved to the Elkhart area.

A one-story, Greek Revival style frame meeting house, the building measures wide by deep. It has eight shuttered windows and separate entrances for men and women. The property also includes the contributing church cemetery.[1]

The cemetery and building are owned by the St. John's Cemetery Association. The church and its cemetery were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

On July 1, 2014, a storm with straight-line winds tore the eastern half of the roof off the church, dumping the debris onto the lawn and an adjacent corn field. Several tombstones were also toppled or broken off. Volunteers placed a tarp over the structure until a permanent repair could be made. Repairs were delayed because the St. John's Cemetery Association had been legally dissolved in 2009. Papers were finally signed on October 1, 2014, to give Harrison Township ownership. The township planned to obtain donations and grants to effect the repairs.[2] [3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD) . Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology . Searchable database. 2015-10-01. Note: This includes Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: St. John's Lutheran Church. 2015-10-01. Howard S. Pletcher . PDF. June 1994. and Accompanying photographs.
  2. News: Crothers. Julie. Township rallies to fix historic church Summer storm tore roof; rain adds to damage. March 25, 2017. The Journal Gazette. October 10, 2014.
  3. News: Crothers. Julie. St. John's Lutheran Church falls victim to recent storm. March 25, 2017. The Goshen News. July 6, 2014.