The community of Dessau was founded in 1854 by German immigrants, including the Wieland, Nauert, Nehring, Grosskopf, Krueger, Goerlitz, and Hennig families. The pioneers worshiped in private homes until this sanctuary was built about 1876. Labor and materials used in its construction were supplied by members of the community. Worship services were conducted in the German language until the mid-1900s. The church building and adjoining cemetery stand as reminders of the area’s pioneer German heritage.