St. Johannis Kirche

The first organized religious group to build their own house of worship was St. Johannis Kirche [St. John’s Lutheran Church]. Lutherans began meeting at the Highland Meeting House as a congregation in 1849. In 1853, they built a church, which is still standing at the northwest corner of Columbus Street and Arbutus Avenue. Most Lutherans spoke their native language but services were also held in English. Some of the English speaking Lutherans left and formed St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at the intersection of Columbus Street and Dudley. When St. Paul’s ceased to exist after five years, the property was purchased by St. John’s congregation where they built their current structure.