150th Celebration a Big Success!
The 150th anniversary celebration of “the big white church on the hillside” was a great success. The spirits of the early church members must have been looking on with happiness as more than 250 history lovers, supporters and descendants arrived from eleven different...
A Sneak Peak at the Silent Auction Items!
We are so excited to give you a sneak peek at some of the items already donated to the silent auction. We hope you'll come ready to bid! Joann M. Ringelstetter is a Middleton-area master photographer who has photographed the church and donated some of her images....
150th Celebration- Make Your Reservation Now!
Historic First Lutheran Church 150th Anniversary Celebration Sunday, September 11, 2:00 p.m. You are invited to celebrate history by attending the annual service at the church at 711 Pleasant View Road. Learn about the beginnings of this church and the work being done...
Sill Beams Replaced
In February and March of this year, we tackled the project of replacing the sill beam -- the stout beam that sits above the stone foundation that the walls rest on. Workers from Mid-Towne Construction exposed the beam to determine the extent of rotten wood. Then new...
A Peek Into an 1884 Basment
As part of the restoration efforts this past winter, the entry to the basement was exposed. One of our trustees, Bruce Michaelis, dared to go down on a cold, grey February day and take some photos. The basement was part of the 1884 addition to the current church...
Remembering Gilsie Techam: Marriott Hotel Site Once Homestead of Early Church Family
By Alice Drake, Trustee Hanging winter decorations at the church last month I thought how lucky this historic church is to have survived. I considered the many people who worshipped, visited and protected this place over the nearly 150 Christmas seasons that have...
More Work Needed on Restoration Efforts
We recently discovered that the water table sill board (the piece of trim that sits above the foundation) is rotten and falling apart (sigh!). That's how it goes with historic buildings, you are never finished! Here are some photos taken by board member Katie...
Annual Service September 20th, 2015 at 2pm
Each year it has been the tradition to hold a church service for the public in mid September. This year's service will be Sunday, September 20th at 2pm. The Rev. Katie Baardseth, co-pastor of Midvale Community Lutheran Church will preside. The service is open to the...
Updated List of Donors
We are so thankful to the individuals and businesses that support this historic church financially. We have updated the list of donors on our Support the Church page with the names of people to thank. THANK YOU!
Ceiling Repair and Painting
Here is how the ceiling looked earlier this spring - cracked and peeling. Corey Ballweg, of Mid Towne Construction, repaired some of the cracked areas. Then painter Phil Howe repainted the areas that had been cracked and water-damaged. The ceiling looks...
A Foundation for the next 149 Years
(Brent Moog above) The board of trustees is excited to announce that we have completed one of our major restoration goals: restoration of the original limestone foundation of the church. The foundation, which dates back to 1866, was crumbling and missing areas of...
Old Cemetery Lost and Returned Again
For some time the Board of Trustees has talked about the condition of the “old” cemetery, located down the hill from the church on Pleasant View Road. Many years ago members of the board of trustees came to the conclusion they could not maintain both the original...