Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church is a historic church in

Webster Township, Rice County, Minnesota Webster Township is a township in Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,825 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Hazelwood, Little Chicago, and Webster are in Webster Township. History Webster Township w ...

. It was original built in 1878 and rebuilt in 1899. It is situated about south of

Minnesota State Highway 19 Minnesota State Highway 19 (MN 19) is a highway in southern Minnesota, which runs from South Dakota Highway 30 at the South Dakota state line near Ivanhoe, Minnesota, Ivanhoe and continues east to its eastern terminus at its Intersection (road) ...

at 8501 Garfield Avenue S, southeast of

Lonsdale, Minnesota Lonsdale is a city in Rice County, Minnesota, Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,686 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate of 5,112. A fast growing exurb of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul met ...

History

According to the congregation minutes, on May 15, 1876, Norwegian immigrants established the Throndhjem's (sic) Church. The name was inspired by the historic city of

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...

and the province of Trondelag. The original church was erected on the same site during 1878. The

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

in the current building dates to that original church. Trondhjem is an architectural mix of

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

and

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

styles, which also incorporates elements of the

stave churches A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing Timber framing () and "post-and- ...

of Norway. The original church built in 1878 used a cruciform architectural plan. All but the

was taken down in 1899 to allow a larger building to be erected on site, with the original chancel incorporated into the new building and many elements in this building showing signs of prior use; most likely re-used from the prior structure.

Present status

In 1988 the Trondhjem Lutheran Congregation moved out of this historic building into a new church located a half mile away. The old church building has been restored by the Trondhjem Community Preservation Society, Inc. Annually the society hosts a winter concert, an ice cream social in July and the

Syttende Mai Constitution Day is the national day of Norway and is an official public holiday observed on 17 May each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to as ''Syttende mai'' ("Seventeenth of May"), ''Nasjonaldagen'' ("National Day"), or ''Grunnl ...

celebration, all part of fundraising efforts. The restoration project of the old church building was completed during 2002. The interior of the 1899 church had originally been decorated with hand painted and stenciled

Casein paint Casein paint, derived from milk casein (milk protein), is a fast-drying, water-soluble medium used by artists. Description It generally has a glue-like consistency, but can be thinned with water to the degree that fits a particular artist's sty ...

on a decorative motif. The original murals were uncovered under layers of embossed tin, paint and wallpaper. The murals were restored in the restoration and where necessary were replicated in areas where the original art work was missing. In 2001 Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

by the

United States Department of Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources. It also administers programs relating t ...

, United States Park Service, because of its historical significance. Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located across the road from the Old Trondhjem Church is the cemetery which was established before the church building.

References

External links

Trondhjem Lutherna Church websiteTrondhjem Preservation tourTrondhjem Community Preservation Society webxite
{{Authority control 19th-century Lutheran churches in the United States Churches completed in 1899 Churches in Rice County, Minnesota Lutheran churches in Minnesota 19th-century Lutheran churches Norwegian-American culture in Minnesota Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Rice County, Minnesota

History

Present status

References

Related reading

External links