Adrian in Lenawee County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

St. John's Lutheran Church

Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 8, 2017

1. St. John's Lutheran Church Marker

Inscription. The Reverend William Hatterstaedt helped organize St. John's Lutheran Church in 1847. Until their first church was completed in 1849, the original congregation, fourteen German families, met in a church that belonged to the Episcopalians. Services were held every three or four weeks until 1850, when the Reverend Phillip J. Trautman was installed as the first full-time pastor. On July 1, 1861, the congregation laid the cornerstone for the present church. The structure was dedicated on June 29, 1862. It was enlarged in 1896. The handsome stained glass windows depicting Bible stories were installed in 1914. Since its organization, St. John's Lutheran Church, the mother church of the denomination in Adrian, has held continuous services.

Erected 1982 by Michigan History Division, Department of State. (Marker Number L887.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 29, 1862.

Location. 41° 53.777′ N, 84° 1.849′ W. Marker is in Adrian, Michigan,

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in Lenawee County. It is at the intersection of South Locust Street and East Church Street, on the right when traveling north on South Locust Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 121 S Locust St, Adrian MI 49221, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lenawee County Spanish War Memorial (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lenawee County World War II Memorial (about 400 feet away); Adrian Civil War Memorial (about 400 feet away); Lenawee County World War Honor Roll (about 400 feet away); Lenawee County Korean War Memorial (about 400 feet away); Lenawee County Vietnam War Memorial (about 500 feet away); Lenawee County World Terrorism Veterans Memorial (about 500 feet away); Henry Ford (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers

The Former St. John's Lutheran Church Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 8, 2017

2. The Former St. John's Lutheran Church Marker

in Adrian.

Also see . . .
1. Michigan SP St. John's Lutheran Church. According to the National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (1984), "Alterations have been few and entirely sympathetic to the original Gothic Revival design." (Submitted on October 27, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

2. St. John's Lutheran Church. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places Inventory in 1984. From the Nomination Form:

St John's Lutheran Church is significant as a manifestation of the large migration of Germans to southern Michigan in the nineteenth century and, particularly, of the rapid development of the German Protestant community in Adrian. The building is also notable as one of the oldest surviving -- and probably one of the first -- thoroughly Gothic Revival Lutheran church buildings in Michigan. Its interior contains a handsome blend of church fittings and decoration from the 1860s to the 1930s. (Submitted on April 1, 2025, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

Additional commentary.
1.
St. John's Lutheran Church moved to a new building about
Photographed by Joel Seewald, April 8, 2017

3. St. John's Lutheran Church Marker
3.5 miles northeast on North Adrian Highway (State Highway 52). The former building has been the home of the Reformed Baptist Church of Lenawee since 2007.
— Submitted April 19, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.

Photographed by Craig Doda, September 18, 2021

4. St. John's Lutheran Church Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 581 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 19, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 4. submitted on September 22, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.