Area church added to national historic register

   WATERVILLE — In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, West Paint Creek Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in rural Waterville was a center of social life in southeastern Allamakee County. Now it has recognition that will keep it relevant well into the 21st century and beyond.

   West Paint Creek Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church was recently named to the National Register of Historic Places due to its historical significance associated with Norwegian and Norwegian-American architecture and social history.

   "We're pleased the West Paint Creek Church has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, and we congratulate all the stakeholders who worked so hard on this successful nomination," State Historian Laura Sadowsky said. "This recognition marks an important milestone for Allamakee County as it continues to preserve the legacy of its past for future generations of Iowans to enjoy."

For more of this story see the July 3 Outlook.