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Immanuel Lutheran Church
HistoryLink.org Essay 10205
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1215 Thomas Street
Architect: Watson Vernon, 1912.
Immanuel Lutheran was founded in 1890 by 33 worshipers of Norwegian
heritage. The congregation's first building was at Minor and Olive. In
1907 it purchased a lot at the corner of Thomas and Minor. In 1908 the
basement of the new church was completed. Lacking funding to continue
building the new church, the congregation held services in the basement
for several years. In 1911 they finally managed to secure funding.
When the church building was dedicated in 1912, it had one of the
largest Lutheran congregations on the Pacific Coast. Two bishops from
the Norwegian State Church assisted with the dedication ceremonies. In
1915 philanthropist Andrew Carnegie funded the purchase of a Kilgen pipe
organ. An addition to the rear portion of the church was completed from
1919 to 1920 to house a gymnasium and other church activities. During
the 1920s the congregation numbered some 2,000. Built entirely of Frame
construction on a concrete foundation, Immanuel Lutheran is the only
frame church structure in the vicinity of downtown Seattle still used as
a house of worship.
On March 2, 1983, the Seattle Landmark Preservation Board designated
Immanuel Lutheran a City of Seattle landmark. It is also on the National
Register of Historic Places. Now in its second century, the
congregation provides a winter shelter to homeless men and facilitates
many other social services for the neighborhood's low-income population.
By Paula Becker, September 25, 2012
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