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Newville Church

Celebrates 150th Anniversary

June, 2006

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of the town of Lake Mills, known to many as the Newville Church, is celebrating its 150th anniversary on Sunday, June 11, with a special service and a church picnic to follow.

The congregation began in 1856 in the area northwest of Lake Mills by German farmers served by traveling preachers. In the 1860s and 1870s the congregation solidified its identity as a Lutheran church with the help of Pastor Goldammer of St. John, Jefferson, and led by Herman Haese, a teacher at the congregation who trained at the seminary so that he could become its pastor. St. John is a "mother church" to many churches in the area, including St. John, Waterloo, St. James, Cambridge, and St. Paul, Lake Mills.

The church was originally located on Highway 89 north of Lake Mills at the intersection of Rock Lake Road. The old church cemetery is still maintained in that area. In 1876, the congregation decided to relocate to its present location at the intersection of Airport Road and Newville Road. When the original brick building was destroyed by lightning in 1913, the congregation rebuilt in the same location. Since then, Highway 30 and Interstate 94 were subsequently constructed near the church. Today, many travelers from around the state and country recognize the familiar steeple of the "little white church by the freeway" as they drive by.

Several sons of the congregation have gone on to become pastors, including Marvin Zank, David Haag, Nathan Krause (who serves locally at Abiding Shepherd in Cottage Grove) and Carleton Toppe, who served for many years as president of Northwestern College in Watertown.

In connection with its 150th anniversary celebration, a history of St. John's has been completed. The author of the book is Judy Atkinson, a long-time member of the congregation and resident of Lake Mills. Along with the written history, the book features full-color pictures and a timeline comparing events in the congregation with events in America and the world.

St. John "Newville" is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. For many years, the congregation has shared a pastor with Immanuel, Deerfield. The congregation supports Christian education at Lakeside Lutheran High School, St. Paul's Lutheran School in Lake Mills, and other area Lutheran schools.