HELP! A SPIRITUAL, HISTORIC CENTER OF EARLY LUTHERANISM IN MISSOURI NEEDS YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Pilot Knob's Battlefield Hospital

National Historical Register 1979

  North Ziegler & Pine, Pilot Knob, MO 63663

-a member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod -

WORSHIP SERVICES - SUNDAY 10:00 AM

TOURS & SPECIAL SERVICES AVAILABLE

CALL 573-546-2373

email: webusch@hotmail.com

or write

Historic Immanuel

PO Box 26

Arcadia, MO 63621

PLEA FOR HELP!

Our congreation has attempted to preserve this church, but we are losing the battle. With less than 8 people normally attending church each Sunday, we have very few funds available for building maintenance. Our nationally recognized historical church recently suffered termite and mildew damage to the structure. While we have repaired that,and by God's grave saved the church from collapse, WE NEED MONEY to continue keeping the church in repairs Several thousand dollars each year seem to be needed just to keep the building in good repairs and we receive no help from the government because we are a church and none from Synod, because they don't own our property.

A History of Immanuel Lutheran Church

The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

-Genesis 4:10

Introduction

As the Civil War broke out, a group of German immigrants began building their new church. Little did they know that in 1864, the same year the building was completed, wounded soldiers would lay dying in the place of worship. Doctor Seymour Carpenter, Major, US Army, established several makeshift hospitals in the town of Pilot Knob in preparation of the day of battle. On September 27, 1864, despite the good doctor's efforts, there were more wounded soldiers than his staff could handle or his hospitals house. Since that day, the church has barely changed and remains a beautiful example of a small town 1860s church right down to having the original pastoral robes.

140 Years of History

August Gockel, a German carpenter, moved to Pilot Knob, in 1858, as an employee of the Pilot Knob Mining Company. Upset that there was no local Lutheran church, he asked his former pastor, Rev. Johann G. Buenger for help. Buenger agreed and, traveling back and forth from St. Louis each week on the Iron Mountain - St. Louis Railroad, he began ministering to the congregation. During this time, both Lutherans and Catholics attended his services, as there was no full-time priest preaching to the area until 1870. Since the reverend was only serving the congregation part-time, he called on his brother- in-law, Rev. Carl F. W. Walther, who had been the first President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, to help and both preached periodically through 1863.

In 1861, the Lutherans drew up a constitution and named their church Immanuel, a German Lutheran Evangelical Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. Gockel presented plans for a church building and the mining company donated the land. Although he also helped build the church's exterior, Gockel's purest inspiration can be seen in his design of the combination pulpit and altar. Once the church was completed, it wasn't long before the little congregation needed a full-time pastor. Carl Graeber, a graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, accepted the call in 1864.

Picture: Original Pulpit-Altar Combination with 18th Century French Catholic Crucifix and Candlesticks

When the Civil War began, many of Immanuel's men enlisted in the Pilot Knob Home Guard to protect the area from rebels. From time to time, the church was used by them and later the Union Army as a meeting place. The railroad terminated just a few blocks east of the church, as did the telegraph lines. Early in the war, the church made an ideal outpost for the soldiers who were stationed in Arcadia at Fort Curtis. Many of the troops from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri were German immigrants or of German stock and mixed freely with members of Immanuel. Several frequently joined the church members in their worship.

After Fort Davidson was built in 1863, Immanuel still served the Union cause, because the fort was only a fortified position and lacked any buildings necessary for an army's administrative functions. To this day, the congregation possesses a Union telegram book, many of whose telegrams do not appear in the official Records of the War of Rebellion.

The entire Arcadia Valley shook with cannon and gun fire on Sept. 26 and 27, 1864, as Gen. Sterling Price's Confederate army hammered at Ironton and Fort Davidson. By the time the fighting ceased on the 27th, more than 1100 soldiers lay dead or wounded. In a letter, written days later, to General Ewing's wife, Dr. Seymour Carpenter assured her of her husband's safety and described the events of the battle. Concerning his hospitals, he wrote:

I ordered my surgeons outside of the fort to fix the hospital in a Church about 150 yards distant [probably St. Mary's Catholic Church]... I was to take charge of the telegraph, see that his [Gen. Ewing's] messages were sent and to advise General Rosecrans of the progress of events...At 10:30 o'clock, the telegraph ceased to work, as they had cut the wires. I now went to the Hospital. The General planted his field artillery near my hospital; the enemy saw it and played upon it with their guns.

Picture: Blood Stained Floor Near The Crawl Space Hatch

After rebel fire began peppering the church and schoolhouse, Dr. Carpenter added more hospitals by commandeering several local houses. Since he was placed in charge of all the telegraph books, he apparently hid them in his main headquarters, Immanuel Lutheran Church where they wer found after the war.

The Union soldiers slipped out of the fort before dawn on the 28th leaving Dr. Carpenter and his medical staff behind to treat the wounded. One bloodstain is still visible on the floor and a recent archeological survey retrieved a minie ball (bullet) from beneath the church's trap door. A few weeks after the battle the Union army once again took the area. Major fighting would never again touch the valley or the church.

Pictures: Minie Ball retrieved in church crawlspace. Dr. Steve Dasovich screening the archeological dig held at Historic Immanuel in 2001. Dr. Dasovich is seeking a battlefield protection grant for additional digging below the church which has already yielded evidence of a Civil War Hospital.

In the decade following the war, many members depart Immanuel's fold for other congregations. Immanuel members helped form Lutheran churches in Farmington and Iron Mountain, with the more distant Immanuel church members joining them. In 1874, the independent Immanuel Church joined the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

While the Civil War certainly was prominent in the church's history, the little congregation remembers other events that have occurred in the last 140 years. In 1887, a bell inscribed "Kommt den es ist alles bereit [Come for all things are now prepared]" was hung in the tower. In the 1889, the old reed-peddle organ (which can still be seen) was replaced by a newer, bigger one for a cost of $150.00. The first time the "new" organ was used, one of the pipes broke loose and hit a little girl on the head in the front row of the church. For many years, the church also held school upstairs. Some of the early instruction included Catechism, Bible studies, German, arithmetic, English reading, English spelling, geography, and grammar. In 1905, Pilot Knob Cemetery, where several Union soldiers are buried, was deeded to Immanuel Church.

After America entered World War I in 1917, German language church services were replaced by English ones (although occasional German services were still held over the next few decades). This was because many Americans considered German-speaking people enemy sympathizers or worse. The tensions of the war also tore the fold apart. Non-Germans did not want to associate with Germans at this time. Immanuel's non-Germans joined other Lutherans living in Ironton and created St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

Through the twenties, thirties, and forties, the little church saw good and hard times. The church's 75th anniversary service was held on June 7, 1936 with Reverends John Uhlig (grandson of the 3rd pastor ministering here) and Herman W. Gockel (the grandson of the church's founder) presiding over the event. Later that year, the one room schoolhouse closed its doors for the last time due to a lack of students. World War II caused many local men to leave the small town, never to return. The membership rolls dropped and only a few dedicated families remained. By the 1970s, Immanuel was the only surviving battlefield hospital left in Pilot Knob (the old school house disappeared before 1900). In June 1979, Immanuel Lutheran Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Church services at Immanuel have been presided over by many famous Missouri Synod pastors. Rev. C.F.W. Walther was the driving force in the early formation of the synod. Rev. Johann F. Buenger founded the Lutheran Hospital in St. Louis and the Altenheim (old folk's home) and also served the synod as its Western District President. Rev. Ludwig Fuerbringer served as pastor for several years and was the President of Concordia Seminary. His successor, Pastor John Henry Charles Fritz co-founded KFUO radio in St. Louis. Herman Gockel, whose grandfather began this church, wrote and produced the This Is The Life television series. The little church has left its mark on today's Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

Today, the church remains as it did in 1861 with the same unique pulpit-altar, pews, chandeliers (although we decided electricity was a good thing), six wall sconces, 18th French century altar crucifix and candle set, and silver communion set. The original reed organ is in the sacristy, and its 1880s replacement still is next to the altar. Upstairs, the schoolroom has the original desks, blackboards, and books. To preserve the historical integrity of the building, the congregation built a separate hall to be used as a meeting room complete with kitchen and restroom.

We Need Your Help!

Immanuel Lutheran Church of Pilot Knob was one of the early spiritual centers in Southeast Missouri. Although it is on the National Register of Historic Places, it receives no government or synodical funding to sustain maintenance and repairs because it is an active congregation of 10 people. You can help!

While offerings during service barely pay for our pastor, funds dedicated to building repair, maintenance, and historic preservation are needed. Besides the repaired foundation ($15,000), we have to additionally look forward to eventually fix age damage to the organ's leather bellows and internal mechanisms ($9,000). Additionally, mold and mildew are causing damage and sooner-or-later a dehumidifer and HVAC unit will be needed(cost not determined yet). Old wood that can no longer hold paint also needs to be replaced. Maintaining the historical integrity of the building requires hiring carpenters with special skills and using often expensive materials. Please become a Friend of Immanuel by contributing to the church.

Picture: Stripped down for one of the major projects of 2001...new paint. In 2006, it was repairing damage from a tree striking the back of the church during a tornado. 2008 was repairing plaster in the sanctuary. Now we need exterior wood replaced. It never ends..  

Visits and tours for groups are available during the week and upon request. The congregation also opens up its doors to tour groups from other Missouri Synod churches and will permit the group to hold services at the church using their own pastor. Arrangements can also be made for any tour group to use the dining hall.

Please contribute to help preserve this Lutheran & Civil War Landmark!

Send Checks to:

Immanuel Lutheran Church

PO Box 26

Arcadia MO 63621

For more information or for tours, contact either 573-546-2373. Send e-mail inquiries to: webusch@hotmail.com

DIRECTIONS

To get to Immanuel from St. Louis: Take I-55 south out of St. Louis. At Festus, take the Bonne Terre exit onto US 67 (turn right). Continue on US 67 down through Bonne Terre and into Farmington. At Farmington, continue on US 67 to Hwy W overpass. Turn onto overpass and make right turn onto Hwy 221 (not currently shown on Mapquest or Missouri State Map). Travel about 8.5 miles to Junction of Hwy 221 and NN. Turn left, staying on Hwy 221. Travel 9 miles into Pilot Knob. In Pilot Knob on Hwy 221, go under railroad overpass. Travel two blocks. Turn Right onto Ziegler. Drive to end of street to front of church. At normal highway speeds, the trip takes about 1 ½ hours from the St. Louis City Limits on Hwy 55.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

Besides touring the church, other points of interest for a day trip include: Fort Davidson State Historic Site & museum, Elephant Rocks State Park, US Grant monument, and nearby Marble Creek Public Access, Taum Sauk State Park, and Johnson Shut-Ins State Park. Between St. Louis and Pilot Knob lies St. Francois State Park, St. Joe State Park, and Missouri Mines State Historic Site. Other sites include: The old courthouse,which still displays damage from a rebel cannonball; a Civil War driving tour;and US Grant Monument.

Ironton has recently added several very nice antique shops. Be sure to visit two stores of our members: 1)Raspberries Antiques, Uniques & Collectibles, 220 North College, Arcadia, MO, and 2) The Hidden Garden Books Bibles & Gifts, 7 miles south of Ironton, off 21 Highway.

If you are vacationing on the Black River near Lesterville or Centerville, Immanuel Lutheran Church is about one half hour from the center of either town.