On February 13, 1887, the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America established its first seminary on this site with Pastor Thorvald Helveg as president, assisted by Pastor Jens Pederson and a layman, J.P. Petersen. In 1888 Pastor P.S. Vig succeeded Pastor Pedersen. Eleven to fifteen students attended each year of its operation. Factional strife within the synod forced the closing of the seminary in 1892.