DEWITT
Evan Lewis/elewis@vicad.com
The Rev. Tim W. Muehlbrad talks about the history of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Yorktown. The church was built in 1930.
LUTHERAN CHURCH BRINGS HISTORIC BEAUTY TO YORKTOWN BY AMBER ALDACO aaldaco@vicad.com
Evan Lewis/elewis@vicad.com
Stained glass windows line the walls at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Yorktown. Many of the windows are dedicated to original church members, many whom were German immigrants. 72
DISCOVER 2018
YORKTOWN — More than 80 years ago, the parishioners of St. Paul Lutheran Church stood where the current parking lot is located and looked at the church they had built using handmade tools. Though the congregation was founded in 1872, the church was built in 1930 and has held onto its charm against time. “It’s amazing to me the structure in here because there’s very few cracks or foundation shifts, and it was built during the Depression. So, resources were very limited, but the church was very solidly built,” said the Rev. Tim W. Muehlbrad. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the second church
to be established in the town, remains filled with old beauty for churchgoers of all ages. Brick on the outside and wood on the inside, the church can fit 425 people in the main area, balcony and side annex. The annex was used as a multipurpose area and for Sunday school, Muehlbrad said. The church’s structure is similar to other churches of the same era, which is built in wood for a smaller congregation. Carpet covers the church floor, but there are plans to strip the carpet and expose the hard wood floors underneath, Muehlbrad said. With the exception of the carpet and a few coats of fresh paint, the worship area of the church has stayed the same.
