Augustus Lutheran Church
Upper Providence Township, Trappe and Collegeville Boroughs, Montgomery County
The spirit will move you with a visit to this important, Georgian-style historic church in Trappe. Completed in 1745, Augustus Lutheran Church is the oldest unchanged Lutheran building in continuous use in the United States. Its simple and sturdy wood and stucco construction speaks to us of a bygone era. The early pioneering parishioners began hauling stones to the site in early 1743 and the first service was held in the uncompleted structure that fall. The site also houses a larger church built in 1851 to accommodate the expanding congregation. Its sanctuary houses 12 lovely stained glass windows-1 depicting Augustus's first ordained pastor, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg (see Henry Melchior Muhlenberg House). One should also note that Governor Francis R. Shunck, who was born in Trappe and became Governor of Pennsylvania in 1844, is buried here in the Augustus Cemetery.
