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St. Luke’s Lutheran Church

Congregation founded in 1849

1866 Church at 207 N Fourth St location demolished in 1960

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 Jan. 7, 1849.

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 North Fourth St. WHS_005_543

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 North Fourth Street as well as the parsonage at 312 South Fourth Street and delegated Verne Halle of the Verne Halle Co., realtor, to negotiate the sales.

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 N Fourth St church property (church, 207 N Fourth and caretaker’s house (Frank Schwefel resident), 203 N Fourth) as well as the parsonage at 312 S Fourth St. Church services, while once only in German, were concentrated in English in 1955, although some German services will still held at the time.

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 North Fourth Street, as a site for an off-street parking lot. The offer is expected to reach the City Council at its next meeting. At one time the city did show interest in the site, when off-street parking lots were first being discussed. It was also learned today that at least one, and possibly more offers from others who own downtown sites, will be made to the council for the development of off-street parking areas.

1955

12 08

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 North Fourth Street, where the present church is located. The property includes the caretaker's house to the south of the church building and part of the property runs through to North Fifth Street by means of a small alleyway. The Watertown Implement Co. property is at 309-311 South First Street.

1956

05 10 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 North Fourth Street for off-street parking lot purposes. The offer includes both the church and the caretaker's residence adjoining it. Councilman Raymond F. Franz told the council that while he is a member of the congregation that fact has nothing to do with his request that the offer be made. The congregation plans to build a new church in the seventh ward where it acquired a three and one-half acre site in the Schaller Addition last year. The church offered the site to the city on several earlier occasions the first asking price having been reported as $40,000. In the event the city buys the property it will also have to bear the cost of demolishing the buildings and leveling the area and make it ready for parking.

06 08 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.

08 18 The City Council has sounded the death knell for the plan to purchase the St. Luke's Church property in North Fourth Street for the sum of $25,000. The congregation plans to abandon the site when it builds a new church in the Schaller Addition in the Seventh Ward. The old church property had been proposed for a new city parking lot. The vote was 3 to 2, with Councilman Raymond F. Franz, sponsor of the resolution, and Councilman Frederick Harder casting the only votes to purchase the property. Councilmen E. A. Biefeld, B. V. Krueger and George Shephard voted “No” on the measure.

1958

11 14 Proposed off-street parking lot, St. Luke's Church property WDT

1959

04 13 St. Luke's Lutheran Church, North Fourth Street, of which the Rev. I.G. Uetzmann is pastor, will break ground for its new church edifice on Sunday. The new church will be erected at the corner of South Third and Clark Streets in the city's Seventh Ward. Services marking the occasion will be held in the church Sunday morning at 8 and 10 o'clock. The actual ceremony of breaking ground will take place on the site of the new church in the Seventh Ward at 11:15 a.m., following the 10 a.m. service at the church. WDT

05 01 Building permit for new St. Luke's church and parsonage, estimated expenditure of $170,000 WDT

07 29 The cornerstone laying ceremony for St. Luke's Lutheran congregation's new church will be held on Sunday morning, the pastor, the Rev. I.G. Uetzmann, said today. A parsonage for the pastor of St. Luke's Church is part of the new church structure, the two being attached. The general contractor is Arthur W. Griebenow of Beaver Dam. The architect is Hugo Logamann of Milwaukee. St. Luke's congregation will continue to occupy the present church until the first of the year, when it is to be taken over as part of the plan for the new city parking lot which the Wisconsin Telephone Co. is to develop in that area to replace the South Fifth Street lot which the company intends to utilize for its telephone building expansion program. WDT

1960

01 28 The final services to be conducted in St. Luke's Lutheran Church, North Fourth Street, will be held on Sunday, according to announcement made earlier this week. Thereafter the congregation will worship in the basement quarters of the new church now under construction at South Third and Clark Streets. Completion of the new church is nearing and plans call for the dedication of the new edifice sometime after Easter. The pastor of the church, the Rev. I.G. Uetzmann, said today that for Sunday there will be three communion services in the old church. The church building which is soon to pass into history was constructed in 1866 and in the intervening years underwent remodeling and improvements several times. The present pastor, the Rev. Mr. Uetzmann, came here in 1941. He and his wife will shortly occupy a new parsonage which is part of the new church construction. WDT

03 22 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 work is in charge of the Greeler Wrecking Service of Neosho which has a crew of men here doing the job. The church was erected in 1866 - the year following the close of the Civil War.

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. WDT

03 30 1860 penny recovered in connection with demolition; Richard Hoge WDT

05 26 Confirmation service WDT

1974

School built at 801 South Fifth Street

1999

04 04 $3.2 million expansion of church; a 10 classroom school facility and a church expansion. WDT

12 02 Dedication of expanded and renovated facilities WDT

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. School was named Trinity-St. Luke's Lutheran School, or TLS.

Trinity-St. Luke’s Lutheran School