St. John's Lutheran Church
On February 23, 1893, a group of Davis residents chartered St. John’s Lutheran Church. Like many others, these charter members came to this area to take advantage of the lumber boom of the late 19th century. The congregation met at various sites throughout town until the church building was completed in late summer 1894.
A Brief History
The original members of the congregation sought to honor God with a magnificent church building, constructing St. John’s from native spruce timber from the mountaintop and installing elaborate stained-glass windows throughout. Their legacy remains in the beautiful building.
The congregation quickly grew in the first decades of its life, driven by the ongoing prosperity of the area and the dedication of those charter members. When the lumber boom ended and the last lumber mill closed in 1924, St. John’s felt the impact too and underwent a decline. The congregation united in joint ministry with other Lutheran churches for a time, first with Trinity in Elkins, WV and later with St. Paul’s in Aurora, WV.
Once the state parks were opened (Blackwater Falls in 1952, Canaan Valley in 1972), tourism quickly became the primary industry of the local area. St. John’s took advantage of this change and instituted the Blackwater Falls Chapel in 1970 and the Canaan Valley chapel in 1972. The Blackwater Falls State Park interdenominational worship service continues to this day
A Testament to the Boom Years
The Tucker County Historic Landmark Commission (TCHLC) was recognized as a Certified Local Government by the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office in 2008. On November 16, 1986, the TCHLC declared St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church as a Historic Landmark because the “impressive building reflects the optimism of the lumbering boom town years of Davis”.
Photos courtesy of West Virginia and Regional History Center at West Virginia University. An unidentified festival on the steps and sanctuary of St. John’s. If you can identify the festival or any participants, please let us know!