St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Records 1800-1935, Undated

Access and use

Location of collection:
Wytheville Community College
F.B. Kegley Library
Wytheville Community College
Smyth Hall, Room 103
1000 East Main Street
Wytheville, VA 24382
Contact for questions and access:
POC: William A. “Bill” Veselik
Phone: (276) 223-4876
POC: George Mattis
Phone: (276) 223-4744
Fax: (276) 223-4745

Summary

Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes four volumes of original church records, a volume of photostats and transcripts, two typed transcripts, and miscellaneous documents. Record Book 1 (Folder 1; 1800-1892) contains a constitution, baptismal records (1804-1892), a list of subscribers for the building of the first church (1800), and a list of subscribers for purchase of an organ (1816). Record Book 2 (Folder 1; 1880-1924) contains information about church members including date of birth, marriage, and death as well as minutes for the church congregational, council, and committee meetings.

A ledger book (Folder 3; 1875-1908) for the St. John's Church Christian Association and Women's Missionary Society includes minutes, lists of members, and financial records. A record book (Folder 4; 1896-1900) for another church organization, The Augsburg League of Christian Endeavor, contains minutes for business, committee, and social functions of the group.

The Rev. William J. Finck transcribed and translated from German into English Record Book 1. He also produced photostats which he combined with transcriptions and drawings into Records, 1804-1892: St. John's Lutheran Church (Folder 5). Finck sent a copy to the Library of Virginia and two sets to Frederick Bittle Kegley, a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. Interspersed in the pages of this volume are pen and ink drawings by Elizabeth Waller Wilkins of church buildings, ministers, wives, and birth announcements. Finck also produced two typed transcripts of records from Record Book 1 from 1800-1836 (Folder 6, Folder 7).

The final folder (Folder 8; 1869-1935, Undated) contains miscellaneous documents including a transcript (1869) of the 1804 constitution, letters regarding the endowment fund for maintenance of St. John's Church and Cemetery (1924-1925), and notes by Frederick Bittle Kegley.

Biographical / historical:

German settlers near Wytheville, Virginia founded St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1798. Daniel Etter and Mary Etter deeded one acre for twenty-five dollars for the construction of a church building. Members donated funds totaling $201.50 and in 1800 celebrated services in a new church. In 1816 the congregation contributed $430 for the purchase of a pipe organ.

St. John's first pastor, Rev. George Daniel Flohr, and his congregation established the church as a guiding force in the growth of Lutheran churches throughout Southwest Virginia. Indeed, St. John's Church served as a mother church to Lebanon (1851), Holy Trinity (1876), St. Luke's (1888), St. Mark (1891), Poplar Grove (1897), and Holy Advent (1915) churches. As the population shifted toward towns and the railroads, St. John's Church lost members. In 1924, the congregation merged with that of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wytheville. Part of the merger agreement provided for the establishment of an endowment fund to maintain the historic building and cemetery of the mother church.

In 1977, the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission designated St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church as a Historic Virginia Landmark. A homecoming is held annually.

Acquisition information:
Donated by the estate of Frederick Bittle Kegley in 1968.
Physical description:
8 folders.