In 1982, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and Parsonage were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In Lyon County, there is a total of 12 listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to St. Paul’s Church, there are: Martin Norseth house in Cottonwood, Kiel and Morgan Hotel in Lynd, William Gieske (Gieseke) house in Marshall, Masonic Temple/Delta Lodge No. 119 in Marshall, J.S. Anderson house in Minneota, O.G. Anderson and Company Store in Minneota, First National Bank in Tracy, Camden State Park in Lynd, Bridge No. 5083 in Marshall, Bridge No. 5151 in Marshall, and the Tracy Municipal Building and Armory in Tracy. The Tracy Municipal Building was the most recent listing on the National Register for Lyon County in 2023.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in 1895. The church is located at 412 East Lyon Street in Minneota. The parsonage, which was built in 1891, is located next to the church. The church in an example of gothic architecture. It was built of wood frame construction with lap siding on a limestone foundation. The entrance is at the base of a three story bell tower topped by an octagonal steeple.

The significance of the church is that it was built by Icelandic immigrants. Icelandic immigrants settled regions of northwest Lyon County, northeast Lincoln County, and southern Yellow Medicine County to form the second largest Icelandic colony in the United States. Icelandic immigration to rural Minnesota began in 1875 and by 1900 about 1,000 Icelanders lived in this region. To preserve their language, customs, and religion, the Icelanders built four churches in the area (Marble Township in Lincoln County, Westerheim Township in Lyon County, Marshall, and Minneota).

The pastor, hired to minister to all four churches lived in centrally located Minneota in the parsonage built in 1891. Four years later, at a cost of about $1,550, the Minneota congregation, with donated materials and labor, constructed St. Paul’s Church. In 1966, the Marble Township church, the only other remaining of the churches by that point, merged with the St. Paul’s congregation. St. Paul’s Church became the focal point of the Icelandic community in rural southwest Minnesota.

Next weekend on July 26 and 27, there is going to be a celebration in Minneota for the 150th anniversary of Icelandic settlement. Events will be held on Saturday at the Minneota Library and Opera Hall. On Sunday, there will be a church service at St. Paul’s Church. For more information on events, contact the Minneota Library at 507-827-5473 or check out their Facebook page, Minneota Public Library.

The photograph featured this week from the Lyon County Museum’s collection is an early photograph of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneota.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a non-profit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 W Lyon St in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open year-round to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.