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Old St. John Lutheran Church is maintained as a historic preservation site by a dedicated board of volunteers. The congregation was formally organized in 1799, emerging from German settler migration into western Wythe County following the Revolutionary War. The present frame structure was dedicated in 1854 and underwent extensive remodeling in 1885. As the population shifted toward Wytheville’s railroad and town churches, membership declined, and in 1924 remaining members merged with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. While the church no longer holds regular services, the congregation gathers once each year for an annual Homecoming service, continuing a tradition that spans over two centuries.
This website serves as a digital archive for the church’s history and its cemetery records. The cemetery database of over 1,283 burial records was compiled from the meticulous research of historian Sally Kegley, drawing from original church registers, county records, and field surveys.
Old St. John Lutheran Church
1650 N. 4th Street
Wytheville, VA 24382
The grounds are open to visitors.
No regular staff on site.