St. John's Lutheran Church (Walhalla, South Carolina)

St. John's Lutheran Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	301 W. Main St., Walhalla, South Carolina
Coordinates	34°45′54″N 83°4′11″W
Area	3.5 acres (1.4 ha)
Built	1859
Architect	Kaufmann, John
NRHP reference No.	80003692
Added to NRHP	November 24, 1980

St. John's Lutheran Church, also known as St. John's German Evangelical Church of Walhalla, is a historic church at 301 W. Main Street in Walhalla, South Carolina. There is a preschool run by the church.

History

The church was constructed by The German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation to address the inconvenience faced by many Walhalla residents in reaching the nearest church, which was located at a considerable distance. The planning for the church began in 1858, coinciding with the congregation's decision to allow sermons in English. Ground clearing commenced in early 1859, and construction was completed in 1861. However, the onset of the Civil War presented challenges for the church's management, as a significant portion of the congregation was involved in the Confederate Army. Once they came back, the church faced financial issues due to the prevalence of Confederate notes and other useless forms of paper money in the treasury, though this improved through slight ways. In the later 1860s, a bell was added to the church and kerosene lights replaced candles. Eventually, the bell came out of use, presumably before the replacement of the Town Clock and its pairing bell in 1888. This bell is still in use, shaking the building when it sounds. The original plain glass windows were replaced with stained glass in 1910. Until the 1960s, a major source of lighting for the church was a chandelier, now in the foyer of the parish house. The modern Parish House, Church Office, and Fellowship Hall were built from 1969–1971. The Sunday School Building was renovated in 1973–1974. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

References

• Who We Are. (n.d.). St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church Walhalla, SC. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://www.stjohnswalhalla.org/who-we-are/
• Edgefield Advertiser. June 23, 1858.
• Shealy, George B. (1990). Walhalla: A German Settlement in Upstate South Carolina (pp. 78–79). Blueridge Art Association.

External links

U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: St. John's Lutheran Church (Walhalla, South Carolina)