The Congregational Church

The Congregational Church. The Most Historic Building in Town. , When Lewiston was originally platted, the M and H Lumber Co. donated two lots north of town center so that a church could be built. The cost of the building was approximately $3,000 and the new Congregational Church was chartered and dedicated on November 7, 1894. , , This is the most historic building in town and the only one still operating under the same ownership and purpose since the 1800's. The beautiful beams and arches are made of native Norway pine and the first altar Bible was donated by the Montgomery Ward Co. of Chicago. , , After the lumber mill closed the Church, like the town, fell on hard times. As a result, it was necessary to consolidate and in 1941 the East Church, a small Finnish Church on the east side of town, was moved to this site and attached to become a parish hall and kitchen. The congregations were combined. , , The original Finnish Church was established in 1916 to serve the Scandinavian farming community. It was located directly across from the Finnish East Cemetery that is still in operation today on CR 612. Sermons at the time were conducted in both Finnish and Swedish to accommodate this segment of the community. , , The first parsonage was located just south of the church on the east side of Kneeland, and was originally the home of Lewis Jensen and family, first General Manager of M and H Lumber Co. The structure was donated to the church by the Kneelands, when they moved away to pursue other timber ventures. , , In 1955 the Finnish Church structure was torn down to make way for improvements and a new basement was dug on the site. The original Congregational Church structure was built on a cedar block fo9undation that had deteriorated badly over time. The building was moved east and placed over the new basement with a solid foundation allowing for many improvements to be made in plumbing and electrical facilities as well. Then again in the 1980's, after a centennial of continuous operation, substantial renovations were completed that provide for the comfortable space we enjoy today and to provide for the next 100 years of service to God and the Lewiston community. , , Donated by Deborah Rubenstein in loving memory of Roger "Skip" Cohoe. , , The Lewiston Heritage Trail is a DDA project funded by private donors with period photos and historical text provided by the Lewiston Area Historical Society.