Bethlehem Lutheran Church | |
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| Nearest city | Aitkin, Minnesota |
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| Coordinates | 46°28′33.7″N93°36′59.8″W / 46.476028°N 93.616611°W Coordinates: 46°28′33.7″N93°36′59.8″W / 46.476028°N 93.616611°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1897 |
| MPS | Aitkin County MRA |
| NRHP reference # | 82002928 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1982 |
Bethlehem Lutheran Church (also known as Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Bethlehem Church) is a historic Lutheran church in Nordland Township, Minnesota, United States. The church was constructed in 1897 by Swedish immigrants. The Gothic Revival building features a square tower topped by a belfry and an octagonal spire. The church's congregation formed in 1891 and was the second of five Swedish Lutheran churches established in the county. Aitkin County received a large influx of Swedish immigrants in the late 1800s, and the church is one of the best-preserved buildings constructed by the immigrant population upon their arrival. [2]
Lutheranism is a major branch of western Christianity that identifies with the teaching of Martin Luther, a 16th century German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation. The reaction of the government and church authorities to the international spread of his writings, beginning with the 95 Theses, divided Western Christianity.
Nordland Township is a township in Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 972 as of the 2010 census.
The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.
The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. [1]
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.
