Property Record
NORTHEAST CORNER OF COUNTY HIGHWAY M AND COUNTY HIGHWAY FF
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Immanuel E & R Church |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Immanuel United Church of Christ |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 82395 |
| Location (Address): | NORTHEAST CORNER OF COUNTY HIGHWAY M AND COUNTY HIGHWAY FF |
|---|---|
| County: | Sheboygan |
| City: | |
| Township/Village: | Herman |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | 16 |
| Range: | 22 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 16 |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1911 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1975 |
| Historic Use: | church |
| Architectural Style: | Early Gothic Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | Square corner tower. Formed by 13 families from Lippe-Devmold. The congregation is the oldest German Reformed congregation in the State of Wisconsin, founded in 1847. The congregation came all together as a group from Langenholzhausen in Germany upon an overcrowded ship called the Agnes. Turned away in New York because there were too many Germans on board, the congregation had to break immigration laws and re-route themselves through Canada in order to stay together. Originally bound for Iowa, they were out of money and patience when they arrived on the shores of Sheboygan, so they decided to settle instead in the wilderness on the edge of Town Herman. They helped one another purchase land and worked together to build their first log church. The congregation is largely responsible for the founding of Mission House (now Lakeland University); the land for Mission House was donated by the head of the church, Frederick Reineking. For many years, the faculty and students of Mission House were a significant part of the congregation of Immanuel, and many significant figures in what became the denomination of the United Church of Christ are buried in the church cemetery. What began in 1847 as the "Reformed Immanuel Congregation" continues to thrive today as Immanuel United Church of Christ with many descendants of the original founders still active members of the church. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |