St. Stephen Catholic Church originated with German immigrant families who settled in the area in the late 1800's and, needing a local place of worship, built the church on property made available by the Emberger family in 1900. Their final service there was held in 1945. When Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area was formed in 1963, St. Stephen was overlooked and became the only church left standing within LBL. After the building deteriorated, Between The Rivers, Inc. reached an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service in 2000 to allow restoration work, and volunteers used old photographs and oral histories to guide more than 3,800 hours of effort to authentically restore the church to its original design and construction. Today, it remains a reminder of the importance of church and of the community strength once present in this region and still cherished there.