Emanuel Lutheran Church of Montra
Why it's listed
Emanuel Lutheran Church is a frame country church on Montra Road at the northeast edge of the small village of Montra in Shelby County, Ohio. It sits beside a cemetery and overlooks farmland. The present building dates to 1873 and replaced the congregation's first church, which burned during a funeral in 1871. Its most notable feature is a three-level central bell tower, with a louvered belfry, an eight-sided louvered drum and a shingled spire added in 1899. In 1923 the church was moved down the hill to its present site, set on a new coursed rock-faced foundation over a newly dug basement, and semicircular stained glass windows were installed. The congregation formed in 1860 with sixteen families of German and Alsace-Lorraine origin who first worshipped in a store room. A 1980 survey found it the most significant surviving building in Montra and described it as one of the finest frame rural churches from the 1870s in the county.
Significance in brief: The church is presented as historically significant as an early house of worship for German Lutheran emigrants who settled the area. It is architecturally significant as one of the finest frame rural churches remaining from the 1870s in Shelby County. A 1980 survey found it the most significant building left in Montra and the only one eligible for listing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82003640, listed May 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Montra Rd., Montra |
|---|---|
| County | Shelby County |
| Listed | May 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003640 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Areas of significance | Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked as occupied, in religious use, and unaltered; the form notes the church was moved and given a new foundation in 1923. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.43191, -84.09287 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82003640.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5369099
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.