About Us
History
On the west edge of Sacred Heart stands a stucco building with dome-style bell tower where people once congregated for church services. This historic structure was built by the Trinity Lutheran congregation in 1916. In 1963, the congregation dissolved. That fall the Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Sacred Heart burned to the ground. In need of a building, they purchased and remodeled the former church of Trinity Lutheran, and mounted their bell, which had been rescued from the ashes, outside the entrance to their new church.
Ebenezer continued to hold services until 1996, when its congregation disbanded. The city of Sacred Heart, with funds from Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Sacred Heart, purchased the building for use by the area’s newly-formed historical society. The Sacred Heart Area Historical Society, a non-profit all-volunteer organization, held its first meeting at the site in 1997.
After serving as a church for eight decades, the building was leased to SHAHS and renamed the Sacred Heart Area Museum. In 2013, the society purchased the building from the city. It houses all of the society’s collections, some dating back to the 1800s. Emphasis is placed on past and present businesses, churches, families, organizations, military personnel, and schools of the area.
Mission
The mission of the society is to collect, preserve, and disseminate knowledge about the history of the Sacred Heart area. Your membership in the Sacred Heart Area Historical Society plays a vital role in helping the society to:
- Operate the Sacred Heart Area Museum
- Preserve the former Trinity/Ebenezer church building
- Collect, Preserve, and Share materials which may help to establish or illustrate the history of the Sacred Heart area
Contacts
- Howard Dahlager, President
- Sonja Thune, Executive Director
Organization:
The museum is operated by the Sacred Heart Area Historical Society, which is organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, EIN 41-1856993. Your donations to the society are generally tax-deductible.