Parishioners to celebrate remodel at St. Paul Lutheran

Metro Wire Staff

Renovations at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School are now complete.

The church was built at its current location—the corner of Center and Wyatt streets—in 1898 but had to be rebuilt after a fire destroyed the building in 1934. In the midst of the Great Depression, the faithful congregation dedicated the new church in December 1935.

Additional updates were completed over the next several decades. The school portion of the building, a school was added in 1958, along with two other major additions in the 1980s and 1990s. A rebuilt 1884 Roosevelt organ was installed in 1995. Stained glass window refurbishment and upgrades in accessibility were completed in the 2000s.

A series of additional renovations began in March, including:

-New wood flooring in the nave featuring an inlaid symbol of the Holy Trinity at the entrance and an inlaid cross leading to the altar
-New slate flooring in the chancel
-An improved sound system with hearing loops
-Updated electrical and lighting
-Enhanced interior and exterior lighting of the stained glass windows
-Repaint of the entire church interior
-Thirty-six refinished and reinstalled pews

The congregation will celebrate the completion of the church sanctuary during a special rededication service on Sunday, July 1 at 1:30 p.m. A time of fellowship will follow.

St. Paul Lutheran was organized in 1872 by German Lutheran immigrants. Today, it has a congregation comprised of over 1,000 members, and its school serves more than 150 students in preschool through eighth grade.

St. Paul Lutheran Church is located at 1919 Wyatt Ave.