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St.
Luke’s Lutheran Church
Congregation
founded in 1849
1866
Church at
1866
The church was erected in 1866, the
year following the close of the Civil War.
St. Luke's dates back to a
congregation that was organized before 1849. The first secretarial records
speak of councilmen whose terms had expired and new men were elected. This
secretarial record is dated
In the year, 1849 the congregation
was incorporated under the name of "The Evangelical German Church,
Watertown, Wis."
In 1909, with the Rev. Herman Sterz
as pastor, the congregation was reorganized and incorporated under the name
"(German) Evangelical Lutheran Church," a confessional church body in
unity of faith with the Lutheran Church of the Wisconsin Synod. The church
known as St. Luke's Lutheran Church had been associated with that synod since
that time.
1940
12 13 1940
Rededication services were held at
St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church to mark the completion of a remodeling and
redecorating program.
The old vestry was removed and a new
one built in its place. There was also a second new vestry on the opposite side
of the altar. This work was done by men of the parish. It greatly improved the
appearance of the church's interior. The pulpit, which for many years dominated
the altar, was moved to a new position at one side of the altar.
The redecorating was done by
Schmutzler's Paint Store and the color scheme and designs throughout were
beautifully blended. A new carpet was laid,
a gift from Henry Hafemeister of the Hafemeister Furniture Store.
To mark the dedication there were
two services; one in German and the second in English.
1947
01 30 1947
The high winds and heavy snows
toppled over the large chimney at the old St. Luke's Lutheran Church on
1949
11 03 1949
Celebration of 40th anniversary of establishment
as in Evangelical Lutheran Church communicant member of the Evangelical
Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States. Some 540 souls.
1955
08 18 1955
St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran
congregation, through its board of trustees, last night authorized the sale of
its present church property in
The sale of the properties is in
line with the overall plans of St. Luke's congregation to build a new church
and parsonage in the Seventh Ward. Plans for the new church were first
announced in the Times on March 4 when it was reported that the congregation
had purchased a three and one-half acre tract of land in the Henry Schaller
subdivision for $10,000 as a site for its new church edifice. Officials of the
church, together with the pastor, the Rev. I. G. Uetzmann, have been at work on
overall plans for some time.
It now appears likely that the work
on the new church will be undertaken in the near future.
1955
08 19 1955
Congregation authorized sale of
1955
11 14 1955
St. Luke's Lutheran Congregation,
which is soon expected to begin work on the construction of a new church
edifice in the Seventh Ward where it has acquired property in the Henry
Schaller development, is going to offer its old property, fronting on
1955
12 08 1955
There appears little likelihood at
this time that the City Council will purchase either of the two latest
properties being offered for off-street parking lots. The two offers which were
made at the Nov. 15 meeting of the council were those of St. Luke's Lutheran
Church council and the Watertown Implement Co. The church property fronts on
1956
05 10 1956
The City Council by a 3 to 1 vote last
night decided to offer St. Luke's Lutheran congregation $25,000 for its
property in
1956
06 08 1956
Pending plans to have the City
Council purchase the old St. Luke's Church property in North Fourth Street and
convert it into an off-street parking lot received severe setback last night in
the form of a vigorous protest petition filed with the Council by 56 taxpayers
who own property in the vicinity. The Council at a recent meeting voted to make
an offer of $25,000 for the property and this offer is now pending before the
congregation. The city, however, has as yet made no commitment to carry through
the deal if the church membership approves. The petitioners state that
converting it into a parking lot will deteriorate the value of property in the
region and will provide a nuisance and that their privacy will be disturbed.
They also cite the fact that the general area is already served by other
parking lots not too far removed.
1956
08 18 1956
The City Council has sounded the
death knell for the plan to purchase the St. Luke's Church property in
1960
01 28 1960
Final services to be conducted in
1960
03 23 1960
Yet another significant Watertown
landmark, St. Luke's Lutheran Church, disappeared from the city's scene. It was
replaced with a beautiful asphalt parking lot. Work on demolishing the old
structure began with the loss of the roof and continued with the wrecking of
the brick edifice.
The North Fourth Street church
property was acquired by the Wisconsin Telephone Co. which used it and other
nearby property for developing a new city parking lot which it will turn over
to Watertown to replace the city's South Fifth Street parking lot adjoining the
telephone company building. The company will use the present lot for expanding
its Watertown plant and installations.
Cross-References:
No 1: 1875, Rev John H Brockman becomes
pastor
No 1: Image available, 1928, 75th anniversary of City of
Watertown, PC_133
No 2: Image available, 1955, Caretaker’s home adjacent to church,
WHS_005_002
No 3: Image available, 1960, Demolition in progress
No 4: In 1981 the joint school operation was established. The
school was named Trinity-St. Luke's Lutheran School, or TLS.
