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down in 1959 and replaced by the present modern building. A bell tower was added in 1967, in which members installed the bell from their old church. An educational wing, with a pastor’s study, a nursery, a choir room, Sunday School classrooms, lavatories, and a kitchenette, was built in 1983. Through the generosity of dedicated members, the church was debt-free when a dedication ceremony was held in June 1984. “Immanuel United Church of Christ,” Ludlow News Enterprise, May 10, 1989, 3. Immanuel United Church of Christ. 100 Years of Ser vice, 1894–1994. Anniversary booklet. Bromley, Ky.: Immanuel United Church of Christ, 1994. “Immanuel United Church of Christ Photos,” KP, December 10, 1959, 14K.
IMMANUEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. This church came about as one of the results of the German revolutions of the 1840s, when large numbers of Germans fled their homeland and came to the United States. A large number of these immigrants were drawn to the Ohio Valley because it reminded them of the Rhine River Valley in Germany. Many chose to settle in Newport and Covington. In 1848 a small group of German Protestants began holding church services in the home of Frederick Dohrmann, at 100 Robbins St. in Covington. Though not originally affi liated with any larger church organization, these worshippers were known as the German Methodist Episcopal Church. Ser vices were conducted in German. The church’s first full-time pastor was Dr. Christian Vogel, who assumed the position in 1849. As the congregation grew, the church purchased a frame house at 717–719 Craig St. in which to hold ser vices. A Sunday school was organized in 1853, by which time church membership had grown to 160. Within a few years, a larger building was needed, so in 1866 a lot was purchased on the southeast corner of 10th and Russell. The cornerstone of the new church was laid in 1869, and the first floor was dedicated in 1870. The upper sanctuary was dedicated on February 20, 1876. The edifice, designed by architect F. Armstrong, was described as being one of the finest church buildings in the city. It also contained one of the region’s best pipe organs, which facilitated the creation of a music program, including a choir. In 1886 a house at 79 W. 10th St., adjacent to the church building, was purchased to be used as a parsonage. In 1889 the congregation joined the Epworth League of Methodist Churches. About 1916 an addition was added to the church, but that was soon outgrown, and the parsonage became the Sunday school building. Because of anti-German sentiments during the World War I, the church’s name was changed to the Immanuel Methodist Episcopal Church and German-language ser vices were gradually discontinued. In 1929 a site was purchased at Madison and Robbins, with the intention of building a new 600-seat facility. However, before construction began, church leaders rethought their decision. Attendance had begun to
Immanuel Methodist Church, 10th and Russell Sts., Covington.
fall as older members died and many younger ones began a flight to the suburbs. It was decided that a location outside the city would best serve the needs of the congregation. Many sites were considered, and eventually an 11-acre one at the corner of Dixie Highway and Arcadia Ln. in Lakeside Park, the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Zimmerman, was obtained in the late 1940s. A new building, which took several years to complete, was started in 1949; the congregation officially moved from Covington to Lakeside Park in September 1950, worshipping in the basement of the unfinished building. The cornerstone of the new sanctuary was laid in June 1955, and the sanctuary opened in May 1956. An educational annex was constructed in 1964, a new Wicks organ was installed in 1973, and a $3.2 million Wesley Hall addition was dedicated in 1998. The church continues to be a healthy and vibrant organization, drawing its members from many Northern Kentucky communities. It hosts a number of community groups, including the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, a basketball league, and self-help groups. Now named Immanuel United Methodist Church, it is one of the largest
Protestant churches in Northern Kentucky. In 2005 the church took over the responsibility of operating the closed First United Methodist Church in Covington, converting it into its Grace satellite campus. In the same year, the church merged with New Hope United Methodist Church in Southgate and continued to operate the New Hope campus at 22 William Blatt Ave. In addition, Immanuel conducts a large outreach program for Latinos. Immanuel United Methodist Church. www.immanu elumc.org/history.htm (accessed December 19, 2007). Linn, Molly. “Closing Not End of Church,” KP, June 11, 2005, 3K. Reis, Jim. “Heritage Celebrated. Immanuel Marks 150th Milestone,” KP, September 13, 1999, 4K.
INDEPENDENCE. Independence, one of two county seats in Kenton Co., ranks among Northern Kentucky’s largest and fastest-growing cities. Primarily a residential city, Independence covers about 23 square miles and stretches across the middle third of Kenton Co. between the Boone