First Lutheran Church (Winthrop, Minnesota)

First Lutheran Church is a Lutheran church in Winthrop, Minnesota. The church is easily recognized by its tall steeple and its large stained glass windows.The church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), belonging to the Southwestern Minnesota Synod / Minnesota Valley Conference.HistoryThe church was established in 1884 by C.M. Ryden, who was the pastor at the nearby Bernadotte Lutheran Church in Bernadotte, Minnesota. Originally named "Swedish Lutheran Church", the church changed its name to "First Evangelical Lutheran Church" in 1922. It is commonly known by the shortened name "First Lutheran Church".Because of this shared history, First Lutheran and Bernadotte Lutheran are often considered sister churches.BuildingsThe church has constructed and occupied two buildings since its inception.Original buildingThe original church building was built in 1885 and was of wood construction. The building was sold to Zion Lutheran Church (another church in Winthrop) in 1904 for $500, and was then moved to the corner of Fourth and Renville streets. Around 1967, the building was torn down (Zion having moved to a different location at that point).Current buildingThe current church building was built in 1904 and is of brick construction. It features a large organ and several large stained glass windows.The organ was originally built by Hillgreen, Lane & Co. in 1910. It has undergone two rebuilds / upgrades since then, both by Hendrickson Organ Company. The first, referred to by the company as Opus 1, occurred in 1966. The second rebuild, referred to by the company as Opus 58, in 1982, was necessitated by the 1981 fire (see below).