By Dan Affeldt
Photography by Ed Chapin


Altar and Sanctuary

It has been a long journey together for Our Savior Lutheran Church (OSLC), Trumbull-Nelson, and Banwell Architect’s Stuart White. It began back in 1973, when the original plans for the sanctuary built by Trumbull-Nelson included a connection to the existing parish hall. This connection was to include meeting rooms and educational space. That part of the plan wasn’t carried out at the time because church resources weren’t sufficient to do it.

In 1996, OSLC began again working to evaluate and compare ways to make their building space more useful. Although some minor renovation work on the office space was done several years ago, lots of time was taken for the congregation to think through longer-term changes.

The planning process involved input from the congregation through meetings, surveys, draft plans, and revised plans. It seemed only natural to again work with the same team, Trumbull-Nelson and Stuart White, who made the first major expansion a reality. OSLC now has an opportunity to better meet their current program needs and is better equipped to meet the challenges of a growing congregation.

The improvements that emerged from the congregational survey, and those are reflected in the new addition and renovations are:

▪Handicapped accessibility for the entire structure
▪ A fully connected sanctuary and parish hall
▪ Larger and improved educational space
▪ A totally new kitchen space
▪ Expanded seating in the sanctuary
▪ Major improvements to mechanical systems
▪ New insulation for the sanctuary

The effort represents approximately 4,000 square feet of new construction, and major changes to about 500 square feet of existing space.

Interestingly enough, another partner in the journey was St. Thomas Episcopal Church, also featured in this edition of Constructive Images. St. Thomas provided space to the then fledgling congregation of OSLC during its first year, 1955. Even the bell at OSLC was a gift from St. Thomas. It once was in their parish hall, but found a new home at OSLC in 1961.A Brief History of Our Savior Lutheran Church

1955
Reverend David Krampitz of the Missouri Synod arrives in Hanover to serve as student pastor for area colleges, including Dartmouth; Regular services for students begin at St. Thomas Church; Lutheran Church forms in Hanover, with the first service at Rollins Chapel; The congregation chooses the name “Our Savior’s Chapel - Lutheran”.

1956
Regular services begin in second floor of Musgrove Building on Main Street; First Meeting of Mary-Martha Society

1957
Summer Street property purchased.

1958
Parsonage Finished

1961
Dedication of New Chapel, now the Parish Hall; Church bell dedicated; originally cast in 1869, the bell had been a part of the St. Thomas Parish Hall. It was a gift from the Hunters’, architects for the “New” Chapel (parish hall), and designers of the Musgrove Building Chapel

1973
Ground breaking for New Sanctuary

1974
First Service in the New Sanctuary. Dedication of New Sanctuary and Prayer Chapel

1981
Our Savior, and Pastor Lemkul, leave the Missouri Synod and join the LCA (Lutheran Church in America), later to join with the ALC (American Lutheran Church) and other groups to become the ELCA.

1985
The New Organ is dedicated

1988
OSLC holds a service of celebration recognizing the formation of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

1990
Pastor Lemkul celebrates the 35th anniversary of his ordination

1994
John Lemkul retires after 27 years as pastor at OSLC; Reverend Bruce A. Heggen installed as Interim Pastor

1995
Memorial Garden Established and Dedicated; Reverend Michael G. Fonner installed as Pastor

2002 – 2003
Fund-raising for and completion of the new expansion