Edit Building: 2544 Highway 100 South, St. Louis Park, Minnesota

You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

The action you have requested is limited to users in one of the groups: Users, Administrators.
You must confirm your email address before editing pages. Please set and validate your email address through your user preferences.

Building:

Add a Building

Building name:	Some buildings have a name etched into the edifice or prominently displayed on a sign on the building (not just for recent business occupant) such as that found at the Mall of America or Rockefeller Plaza. Others are commonly called a particular name from their association with a particular individual, who may have been the first or most prominent owner, or a particular business. Sometimes even homes get names like Stonebridge. If you don’t know the name, it’s okay to leave this section blank.
Building Number: (ex: 234 Main Street W.)	Number that is the first part of the street address. For example, if the building address if 834 Broadway Avenue North, the number is 834.
Street Name: (ex:234 Main Street)	Name of the particular street, not including the street type or suffix. For example, for 834 Broadway Avenue North, the street name is Broadway.
Street Suffix: (ex:234 Main Street)	One of a series of street types which follows the street name. In the case of 834 Broadway Avenue North, the street suffix is Avenue.
Street Directional:	Most streets, especially longer ones, have a direction, which indicates a specific area along that street. For 834 Broadway Avenue North, the directional is North. If this information is not available it is okay to leave blank.
Location of Building:	If the building has no address or it is unknown, write a short description of where the building is located. Ex: "Corner of Main Street and Elm Avenue" or "On the Mississippi River, 1/4 mile south of Highway 61 and Interstate 94"
City/locality:	The name of the legally organized and/or incorporated city, village, suburb, or township where the property is located.
Neighborhood/s:	If the building is part of a neighborhood or borough. If the building is part of more than one neighborhood (historic, imagined, etc... please enter them using commas to separate them.
County: Select if it is a county or a parish (county by default).	Enter name of the county or parish. Do not add "County" or "Parish" to name.
State/province:	Select the state or province.
Province other than U.S. or Canada:	Add province if structure is not located in the U.S. or Canada.
Country:	Select the country
Year built:	The year or period of years when the building was originally constructed. Sources for this date include building permits and property tax records.
Year razed:	Some buildings have been razed (torn down or demolished). If you know when a building was razed, please put that date here. You can sometimes get an approximate date from city directories, old photographs, permits for new buildings on the same site, and newspaper articles. If year is not known, put Unknown
Primary Architectural style:	Many buildings have a recognizable architectural style, such as a bungalow or Richardsonian Romanesque. If you are not sure of the style, you can leave it blank or do additional research, comparing the building to styles in architectural guides or other building entries.
Secondary Architectural style:	Some buildings either at the time of their original construction or through additions or renovations have a secondary style.
Additions:	Later construction of small rooms or larger sections connected to the original building, which increases the size of the building.
Major Alterations:	Removal of significant portions or features of the building or renovations that cause significant changes to the buildings exterior appearance.
Architect or design source:	Some buildings are well known as the work of a specific architect, such as Frank Lloyd Wright. Often people learn about an architect's role in designing a building from his/her name appearing on the building permit or a set of plans. Other design sources include standard plans sold by mail order catalogs, magazines, newspapers, and lumber companies and plans drafted by homeowners, carpenters, and draftsmen.
Moved from location:	If the building was moved to this location, what was the address or location of the old site?
Builder:	If the builder's name (individual or company) is known, please add it.
Select a Historic Function
Historic function:	What was the historic function of the building? Select the most appropreate.
Other Historic function/s:	Add the most appropriate historic function/s. Use commas to separate functions if more than one.
Select a Current Function
Current function:	What is the current function of the building? Select the most appropriate.
Other Current function/s:	Add the most appropriate current function/s. Use commas to separate functions if more than one.
Exterior wall covering:	If known, select the major material the exterior wall is composed of.
Roof material:	If known, select the major material the roof is composed of.
Foundation material:	If known, select the major material the foundation is composed of.
Building permit:	What is the number of the building permit if known?
First owner:	List the name of the first owner
Building Image 1: Upload file	Add a picture of the building, historic or current. The image must be uploaded to placeography.org and you must have permission to use it.
Caption for Image 1:	Describe the photo for caption 1.
Building Image 2: Upload file	Add a picture of the building, historic, current or of a detail or interior. The image must be uploaded to placeography.org and you must have permission to use it.
Caption for Image 2:	Describe the photo for caption 2
This building is a part of a larger site:	If this building is part of a larger site add the Placeography page title here.
Site Name:	Add the name of the site here.
Additional Notes:	If you have other notes you wish to add to the info box like significant persons associated with the building add them here.

Add a Google Map

Coordinates: Please enter address of the Building.

Is it listed with the <b>National Registration of Historic Places?</b> Add a data here.

Enter general introduction and Building history here

Building Summary/Intro:

Write an introduction to the building or if the history is short, put it here.

Building Content:
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REFORMATION and Wat Thai Buddhist Churcu 2544 Highway 100 So. The Lutheran Church of the Reformation began on November 14, 1954, when a group of people interested in establishing an Augustana Lutheran church in the Park met with the Regional Director of the Board of American Missions for the Minnesota Conference. The denomination was formed in 1924 as the Augustana Congregation under Dr. P.A. Mattson. On May 22, 1956, the Minnesota Lutheran Regional Home Mission Committee, representing the eight participating Bodies of the National Lutheran Council, assigned a field in the northeast area of St. Louis Park and the southeast area of Golden Valley to the Augustan Lutheran Church, approving the use of a proposed church site at approximately 26th and Highway 100. On June 12, 1956, the Board of American Missions, through its Church Extension Fund, purchased 3.85 acres of land at 2544 Highway 100 So. on behalf of the proposed congregation. On October 12, 1956, The Steering Committee, selected for the purpose of advising with the Board of American Missions in the development of the program, had its first meeting. On March 10, 1957, the first service was held at the St. Louis Park Theater, with interim pastor Rev. Dr. P.O. Bersell, president emeritus of the Augustana church, presiding. 197 were in attendance. The first Sunday School was held on March 31, 1957, with 68 in attendance. Pastor Herman E. Soderberg, of Rock Island, Illinois, came to serve as a Board Missionary in the establishing of the church on May 7, 1957. 101 parishioners attended the First Family Fellowship meeting at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hopkins, including Pastor Soderberg. On June 2, 1957, a Service of Godspeed was held at Gethesemane for 82 persons who were transferring their membership to the new Reformation church. The congregation was formally organized on June 16, 1957, with a Charter membership of 204. Although there were a few members from Golden Valley, the vast majority of the members were from St. Louis Park. An Organization Sunday service took place at 10:30 am at the St. Louis Park Theater, with Dr. Bersell presiding. At 3:00 that same day, an Organization Sunday congregational meeting was held at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hopkins; 82 people from that church transferred to the new church. Regular services continued to be held at the Park Theater. Pastor Herman E. Soderberg became the congregation’s first permanent pastor on August 1, 1957. The parsonage was purchased at 2614 Xenwood Ave. A building fund was started in May 1958, with a goal to raise at least $30,000 of the $82,000 needed to building the “first unit.” The first unit measured 50 ft. wide by 80 ft. long and would accommodate 200 to 250 chair s and seat 170 for dinner. The building was described in the Dispatch (May 1, 1958) as: a concrete structural frame, enhanced with a thin shelled concrete vaulted roof. The upper floor of the two-floor structure will serve as a sanctuary and fellowship hall with facilities for administration, choir robing and nursery. The chancel and choir facilities will be at the north end. Folding chairs will be used for seating to maintain flexibility. Wood is used as wall panels to compliment the concrete structure and windows on the east and west walls enhance the feeling of openness and space. The lower floor is one large area that can be divided into areas for Sunday school and opened to accommodate social and recreational functions. The southern portion of the lower level contains the furnace room, rest rooms, storage space and kitchen. The $70,000 first unit building, designed by architects Hammel and Green and built by the Ridgeway Construction Co., was dedicated on January 4, 1959. In 1961 membership topped 500, with 170 in Sunday School and 30 in the cradle roll. There were three choirs: Senior, Girls’, and Chapel. Organizations within the church included the Reformation Lutheran Church Women and Men’s groups, Neighborhood Units, Churchmen, Luther League, Junior Luther League, King’s Ambassadors, and Marri-Mates (Couples Club). In 1962 the Augustana Lutheran Church merged with three other Lutheran bodies. Pastor Arnold E. Lack was installed on April 21, 1963. A new church site was dedicated on May 4, 1969, and the new church was dedicated on February 15, 1970. The building is 11,700 square feet with 80 parking stalls to the east and a community garden on the southwest corner of the property along Vernon Ave. The main level has a small office and conference room, gathering space with commercial kitchen, and restrooms. The lower level has a sanctuary (300 person seating capacity), private office, wheelchair lift, children’s wing with five classrooms and storage. Pastor Robert T. Baugh was installed on December 12, 1971. <ref>http://slphistory.org/reformation/</ref> Wat Thai of Minnesota was founded in 2003, the first of three Thai Buddhist sects in and around the metro area. Its first temple was a house in Becker; the congregation moved to Elk River in 2006. It has 20 to 30 primary members, although hundreds more attend its cultural offerings, many from the metro area’s Hmong population. The Elk River center had a secluded setting for the monks to chant and meditate. But it was at least 45 minutes from Minneapolis, too far for many to drive, and not nearly big enough for the events leaders wished to hold. Dee Noree, who owns the Amazing Thailand restaurant in Minneapolis, was elected president of Wat Thai in 2016. In January, he bought the former Lutheran Church of the Reformation, left vacant more than two years ago. Within a couple of months, Wat Thai converted the old church into a temple. Monks and volunteers repaired the electricity and plumbing, replaced broken windows and painted over graffiti on the walls. A large golden Buddha and other smaller Buddhas are arranged in the temple’s meditation space. Much of the renovation was done by the monks themselves, three of whom are assigned to Wat Thai. Dressed in orange beanies and hunting jackets, they cleaned the surrounding property between their morning and evening chanting. <ref>http://www.startribune.com/a-new-buddhist-temple-in-st-louis-park-hopes-to-become-the-center-of-thai-culture/419216624/</ref>

Expand on the history of the building here.

Add Your memory

Free text

Summary:

Cancel