Clearwater Evangelical Lutheran Church
White frame church with bell tower and steeple
The church viewed from the southwest
Nearest cityOklee, Minnesota
Coordinates47°55′41″N 95°46′27″W / 47.92806°N 95.77417°W / 47.92806; -95.77417
Area2.6 acres (1.1 ha)
Built1912
Built byAslak and Oscar Nesland[2]
Architectural styleGothic Revival[3]
NRHP reference No.99001386[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 18, 1999

Clearwater Evangelical Lutheran Church is a rural former place of worship near the Clearwater River in Equality Township, Red Lake County, Minnesota. It served a congregation of Norwegian Americans which organized in 1898 under the name Clearwater Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.[4] Before building the church, they met in homes and log schoolhouses.[5]

The cornerstone of the church was dedicated in 1911 and the building was completed 1912 but not wired for electricity until 1949.[4] Norwegian was taught in the church school until 1940 and into the 1950s some worship services were entirely in Norwegian.[4] The church closed in 1988 due to declining membership.[5] Together with the adjacent cemetery, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Lathrop, Alan K. (2003). Churches of Minnesota: An Illustrated Guide. University of Minnesota Press. p. 264. ISBN 9781452904405.
  3. ^ Nord, Mary Ann (2003). The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 0-87351-448-3.
  4. ^ a b c "Equality Township" (PDF). Histories of the Townships of Red Lake County from "A History of Red Lake County". Red Lake County Historical Society. 1976. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "History Tour Stop #10: Clearwater Church". History of Red Lake County, Minnesota. Red Lake County Historical Society. Retrieved January 3, 2016.


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