The St. Pauli Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Gothic Revival or Late Victorian styled evangelical Lutheran church in Clinton, Big Stone County, Minnesota. It is on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
The St. Pauli Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church is located near Lysing Lake, Clinton. It is situated on the intersection of U.S. Route 75, Big Stone County Road 60 and Big Stone County Road 8. It is 2.3 miles away from the center of Clinton, being a 3-mile drive on average. The St. Pauli Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church is surrounded by native trees, brush, and corn fields.
History
The St. Pauli Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded an built in 1896 on $3,300 of land by Sevrin and Lisbet Huselid; years after a conflict with the Trinity Lutheran Church. The conflict started when the two churches in the Almond Township of Big Stone County split in two over general religious beliefs, with the St. Pauli Norwegian Lutheran Church believing in a Norwegian Synod ideal, while the Trinity Lutheran Church believing in a United Lutheran Church ideal. Both churches built their main buildings in 1896, with St. Pauli Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church receiving an extension in 1911 for a parochial school. The churches then started to cooperate with each other from 1920 to 1944, with pastors preaching at both locations. In May 1957, the St. Pauli Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Trinity Lutheran Church reunited after a congregational voting session.
It was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 2010.