Our First Church –
History records that on May 24, 1891 ten men and two women, inspired by the word of God and desiring to begin worship in a newly acquired building in Sauk City, met with Rev. Pichler of Mazomanie where they had been worshipping. He presided over this congregation from 1891-1893. The building was described as the small red brick church with the door on the west side and many trees around it. The church was located at 922 Madison Street.
The congregation was to be known as St John’s Evangelical Luthern Chruch. The constitution was drawn up and signed by the twelve members. Worship services were conducted twice a month in the German language. German was discontinued in 1930 during Rev. Rath’s time.
New church at Fourth and Washington Streets Prairie Du Sac
The congreation grew in numbers and more space was needed. The Univeralist congreagtion in Prairie Du Sac disbanded and their building was abandoned. The church was purchased in December, 1911 and dedicated in January 1912. A parsonage was built on Fourth street. A new puplit and altar were dedicated and electric lights replaced the bracket lampson on the wall.
In 1918 the church was raised and held in place by poles resting on stones while a basement was excavated. This room was built for the Sunday school. Between 1919 and 1929 a major remodeling project took place in order to modernize the church interior. This work included new emorail windows among other things. The was was $3,011.39 which was paid by the Ladies Aid group. In 1941, the 50 anniversary was observed. A special project that year included a new furnace. An addition on the south side of the church was built to make room for a heating plant. A sacristy, chancel and organ room was added with a furnace room and rest rooms downstairs. The basement was enlarged for more Sunday school rooms and the church parlor for social functions.
A church decorator was engaged to redecorate the church interior. On December 12, 1943 this unit was dedicated.
New Parsonage – 1955 – A new parsonage was built on First Street where the congregation had purchased land from the Village of Prairie du Sac. On May 8, 1955 the new home for the pastor was dedicated. The first occupants were Pastor Behrens and his family. Pastor Behrens accepted a Call and moved to Reedsburg in 1956.
| First 12 members of St. John’s | Pastors 1891-1956 | |||
| Albert Fischer | Phillip Hamm | Pichler | 1891-1893 | |
| Henry Ruessler | Adolph Gergolla | George Sandrock | 1893-1895 | |
| Charles Schultz | Andrew Kahn | F. Eigenmann | 1895-1904 | |
| William F. Streuber | Theo Mueller | Conrad Meyer | 1904-1912 | |
| Carl Hanusa | Christian Wink | F. Lambertus | 1912-1918 | |
| Kathrina Pohlman | Dorothea Pillup | A.C. Zeilinger | 1918-1921 | |
| O.C. Bliese | 1921-1927 | |||
| John Keiser | 1927-1929 | |||
| David Rath | 1929-1944 | |||
| Elmer Henrichs | 1944-1950 | |||
| James Behrens | 1950-1956 | |||
