Augustana Swedish Lutheran Church

Augustana Swedish Lutheran Church is a historic church in Claremont, South Dakota. It was built in 1899 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[2]

Augustana Swedish Lutheran Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The building in 2015.
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Nearest city	Claremont, South Dakota
Coordinates	45°36′4″N 98°0′2″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1899 (1899)
Built by	William Carlson
Architectural style	Modified Nave Plan
NRHP reference No.	88002842[1]
Added to NRHP	December 20, 1988

History

Swedes were among the many European ethnic immigrant groups that came to the Dakotas in the 1880s. Some settled in Brown County, South Dakota, where they soon formed the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Church. A sister congregation began building the church in 1899 and soon after dedicated it in March, 1900. A bell for the belfry was purchased in 1903, and a full basement, coal furnace, and pipe organ were added in 1911.[2]

Swedish was the only language used for services until 1925. Other symbols of Swedish-Lutheran ethnicity remain, however, including the raised pulpit and Gothic-style elements such as the tall steeple with a cross at the peak.[2]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Plane Johnson (August 12, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Augustana Swedish Lutheran Church" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved September 2, 2015. Photos