Emanuel Lutheran Church of Montra
Encyclopedia
The Emanuel Lutheran Church of Montra is a historic church in Jackson Township
, Shelby County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located in the unincorporated community
of Montra
, north-northeast of the county seat
of Sidney
, it is the congregation's second building.
Montra was plat
ted in 1849, but five years passed before any buildings were erected at the site. St. Emanuel's Lutheran Church was organized in a Montra storeroom in 1860 with a membership of sixteen families. The congregation worshipped in this storeroom until the completion of their first church on the eastern edge of the community in the autumn of 1862; this building measured 40 feet (12.2 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) and was built at a cost of $700. Fire destroyed this building in 1874, leaving the congregation homeless for several months. A replacement church was erected on the site of the old during the summer of 1875; a frame structure
like its predecessor, the new church cost measured 50 feet (15.2 m) by 40 feet (12.2 m) and was built at a cost of $1,800. It was officially dedicated in October 1875. Built on a stone foundation, the white wooden building is topped with a steeple
and features five windows on each side.
In 1982, Emanuel Lutheran Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as a property that had made significant contributions to American history. Today, Emanuel is an active congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
. According to the denomination's most recent published statistics, the congregation had 190 members and an average Sunday worship attendance of 51 in 2006.
Jackson Township, Shelby County, Ohio
Jackson Township is one of the fourteen townships of Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,346 people in the township, 977 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, Shelby County
Shelby County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,910 people, 17,636 households, and 13,085 families residing in the county. The population density was 117 people per square mile . There were 18,682 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in the unincorporated community
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Montra
Montra, Ohio
Montra is an unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Shelby County, Ohio, United States. Established in the middle of the nineteenth century, the small community is prominent because of a landmark church.-Geography:...
, north-northeast of the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Sidney
Sidney, Ohio
Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
, it is the congregation's second building.
Montra was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1849, but five years passed before any buildings were erected at the site. St. Emanuel's Lutheran Church was organized in a Montra storeroom in 1860 with a membership of sixteen families. The congregation worshipped in this storeroom until the completion of their first church on the eastern edge of the community in the autumn of 1862; this building measured 40 feet (12.2 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) and was built at a cost of $700. Fire destroyed this building in 1874, leaving the congregation homeless for several months. A replacement church was erected on the site of the old during the summer of 1875; a frame structure
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
like its predecessor, the new church cost measured 50 feet (15.2 m) by 40 feet (12.2 m) and was built at a cost of $1,800. It was officially dedicated in October 1875. Built on a stone foundation, the white wooden building is topped with a steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
and features five windows on each side.
In 1982, Emanuel Lutheran Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as a property that had made significant contributions to American history. Today, Emanuel is an active congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
. According to the denomination's most recent published statistics, the congregation had 190 members and an average Sunday worship attendance of 51 in 2006.