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. They purchased 2 acres of land for a church and cemetery in Springdale Township in 1861 and, following Norwegian tradition, built their church on a hill. The original building was 32 by 48 feet with walls 25 feet high, and a 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, and the stained glass windows are memorials to the pioneers whose descendants still worship here.