Southside in Toledo in Lucas County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Saint Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Congregation / Saint Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church
Saint Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Congregation
In 1886, thirty-six members from Toledo's downtown Lutheran church, St. Paul's, met to form a German-speaking Lutheran congregation for immigrants from Pommern, Mecklenburg and Hanover. Initially worshipping at St. Stephen's at the corner of Harrison and Oliver Street, the congregation built a frame church on this site in 1887. That same year St. Lucas pioneered an early form of health insurance, The Mutual Sick Benefit Society, that later became a larger fraternal organization called The Mutual Sick Benefit Society for Ohio and Other States. In 1999, after joining a program called Reconciling in Christ, St. Lucas became the first Lutheran congregation in northern Ohio to publicly welcome the LGBT communities. Named after Saint Luke, the patron saint of physicians, the church's history is one of healing.
Saint Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church
St. Lucas's original frame church and parsonage was completed in 1887. In 1911, Pfaender Bros. built the present Sandusky limestone sanctuary. Hann-Wangerin-Weickhardt Company from Milwaukee, Wisconsin made the original altar and pulpit. M.P. Moller Co. from Hagerstown, Maryland built the standing church's first organ, which had 28 ranks, 31 voices and 1,807 pipes. In 1962, this organ was rebuilt by Tellers Organ Co. of Erie, Pennsylvania to have 48 ranks, 58 voices and 2,843 pipes. The stained glass windows came from Detroit Window Co. Paintings within the church include German-born painter Ludwig Bang's "Resurrection" and renowned local artist Edmund H. Osthaus's "Crucifixion." A parish house for classrooms was built in 1900 but was demolished in 1955 for a Sunday school building. In 1979, the parsonage was torn down to make room for parking.
Erected 2015 by St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church and The Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 65-48.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.
Location. 41° 37.937′ N, 83° 33.437′ W. Marker is in Toledo, Ohio, in Lucas County. It is in Southside. Marker is at the intersection of Walbridge Avenue and Frank Street, on the right when traveling east on Walbridge Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 745 Walbridge Avenue, Toledo OH 43609, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Edward Drummond Libbey High School (approx. ¾ mile away); Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad / Toledo As A Rail Center (approx. 0.9 miles away); Ohio-Michigan War: A War Without Casualties / Canal Boom (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Toledo Rotary: Service Above Self / Local and Global Actions (approx. 1.2 miles away); Home To Jeep / Middlegrounds Metropark (approx. 1.2 miles away); Bigger, Better, Quicker, Faster! / The Glass City (approx. 1.2 miles away); Land in High Demand / Treaty of Fort Industry (approx. 1.2 miles away); Don't Let This Bridge Leave You In Suspense! (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toledo.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 294 times since then and 25 times this year. Last updated on January 30, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 1, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.