By Mary Lacy
Northside News
Tucked behind Lakeview Lutheran Church on Mandrake Road stands a small building, quietly guarding the Lakeview Lutheran Cemetery. I have passed by when hiking the trails in Lake View Hill Park and was curious about the history of the building. Amy Luebke, office administrator for the congregation, and Pastor Darin Wiebe kindly gave me a tour of the Lakeview Lutheran Chapel.
In 1856, just a few years after Wisconsin became a state, a group of German settlers organized a congregation named St. Johannes Kirche Lutheran Church in Westport as a sister congregation to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Madison. The German-language constitution for the congregation was signed by families whose names are familiar on the Northside today: Veith, Sachtjen, Messerschmidt, Hoepker, Richter.
Initially, services were held in a small frame building on North Sherman Avenue until this sturdy brick building was erected in 1884 on land donated by the Veerhusen family.
The congregation was listed as an independent congregation of the American Lutheran Church in 1942, and the constitution was translated into English. The name was changed in 1987 to Lakeview Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The church served its members well for many years, but as the City of Madison grew around it, so did the congregation. In 1964, Pastor Ken Hoffman stated, “Total membership is 1,153 and three Sunday services are no longer even adequate to handle the people who attend.” The seating capacity of the small church was 70 people, and plans were made to build a new sanctuary.
The cornerstone of the new church was laid in 1966, with a dedication service in June of that year. The new, modern building constructed with fieldstone and cypress included a fellowship hall, classrooms and a large stained-glass window. The parking area was enlarged as well. The new church had plenty of room to accommodate its members in comfort and beauty.
Having a new sanctuary did not mean the end for the lovely little church on the hill. The building still stands, cherished and well cared for. Stories have been collected about the early years of the church, including tales of the local Native American people listening to the hymns and sharing the songs and dances of their culture. Relics of the old times remain, including the original constitution, a bible of the time, and a lovely carved baptismal font, now located in the new church.
The chapel is available to the congregation for special events. In the summertime, services are held on the lawn of the chapel, weather permitting. As stated in the newspaper article describing the building of the new church, “It will remain as a symbol of the past…,” a reminder of some of the people who settled and created a life on the Northside.
