Near Mt. Horeb in Dane County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Springdale Lutheran Church

Photographed by William J. Toman, April 23, 2011

1. Springdale Lutheran Church Marker

Inscription. Norwegians came to this peaceful area of rolling hills and valleys in 1846 and organized a Lutheran congregation in 1852, holding services outdoors and in homes. These God-fearing people purchased 2 acres of land for a church and cemetery in Springdale Township in 1861. Following the Norwegian tradition, they built their church on a hill. The original building was 32 x 48 feet with walls 25 feet high. The 25 foot steeple was added in 1877. The regionally-unique design, attributed to Aslak Olsen Lie, a pioneer member of the congregation, has 4 tiers with arched dormer windows, topped by a wood ornament. The 1000 pound Meneely bell was cast in Troy, New York. The present larger church, built in 1895, retains the original steeple. An exact copy replaced the weathered ornament in 1983. The stained glass windows are memorials to the pioneers whose descendants still worship here.

Erected 1988 by the Dane County Historical Society and Springdale Lutheran Church. (Marker Number 24.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Norwegian-Americans, and the Wisconsin, Dane County Historical Society series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.

Location.

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43° 0.359′ N, 89° 41.485′ W. Marker is near Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, in Dane County. It is at the intersection of Town Hall Road and U.S. 18-151, on the right when traveling north on Town Hall Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2752 Town Hall Road, Mount Horeb WI 53572, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin and in Greater Madison.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Old Town (approx. 2 miles away); Donald Park (approx. 3 miles away); Pioneer Scottish Settlement (approx. 4.3 miles away); German Valley (approx. 5.3 miles away); Robert M. La Follette: The Early Years (approx. 5.8 miles away); Brigham Park (approx. 6.6 miles away); a different marker also named Brigham Park (approx. 6.6 miles away); Blue Mounds Fort (approx. 6.9 miles away).

More about this marker. Aslak Loie was a master craftsman, carpenter, cabinetmaker, and blacksmith–first in his native Norway, and then in the United States. He is one of the few country immigrant craftsmen in the United States whose work has been traced on both sides of the Atlantic. His 1848 Wisconsin home is one of the oldest and most venerated remaining Norwegian-American structures in the state.

Also see . . .
1. The work of Aslak Lie, a 19th century Norwegian cabinetmaker who immigrated to Wisconsin

Photographed by William J. Toman, April 23, 2011

2. Springdale Lutheran Church Marker

. A full length article on the life and craftsmen work in Norway and Mt. Hored. Spanning six decades, Lie’s career straddled the Atlantic Ocean, offering a case study in the influences of immigration on the creative output of an individual artisan. A 50-year old man when he emigrated, Lie came to Wisconsin an already mature craftsman. Tracing the corpus of his work through Norway and Wisconsin reveals the complex interplay of personal artistic style and changing expression.

Aslak Lie was born in 1798 to husmenn, tenant farmers, parents in Reinli, Vladres, Norway. Reinli is a village within the municipality of Sør-Aurdal.

(Submitted on May 11, 2025, by Luci j Baker Johnson of Seattle, Washington.)

2. Springdale Lutheran Church Mt. Horeb History site. Includes a picture of the land map identifying the location of the church, as well as additional pictures. (Submitted on May 11, 2025, by Luci j Baker Johnson of Seattle, Washington.)

3. Find-a-Grave Memorial for Aslak Olson Lie, craftsman for the church. (Submitted on May 11, 2025, by Luci j Baker Johnson of Seattle, Washington.)

Photographed by William J. Toman, April 23, 2011

3. Springdale Lutheran Church Marker

Photographed by William J. Toman, April 23, 2011

4. Springdale Lutheran Church Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on May 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2011, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,298 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on May 13, 2025, by Luci j Baker Johnson of Seattle, Washington. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 24, 2011, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.