Pilot Knob

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church

The German parish was started in 1861 under Johann Friedrich Buenger, one of the original members of the 1839 Lutheran synod in Perry County, who came to Pilot Knob to begin a new congregation in 1861. August Gockel was a resident of Pilot Knob, and one of three trustees of the original church. Gockel, who was a cabinet maker and carpenter, designed the plans, and served as chief carpenter, of the church built in 1864. It was at his request that Buenger, his former pastor, came to Pilot Knob and organized the church there in 1861. Not only was Gockel the chief carpenter and architect of the church building, but he also designed and built the altar-pulpit, and the church benches, which are still in use.

Shortly after it was built, the church served as one of several public buildings in the Pilot Knob/Ironton/Arcadia area pressed into use as a hospital during the Civil War battle of Pilot Knob of September 26-28, 1864. The 30 x 45 foot simple frame building is built upon a limestone foundation. The roof is made of wooden shakes. A hexagonal cupola sits above the entry side of the church, with four pairs of round-arched, louvered vents. The exterior of the church is faced with 6" clapboards. The nine original windows are double-hung 16 over 16 pane. There are two later added windows on the rear of the church on the upstairs level. This upper level originally served as the location of a subscription-funded elementary school, open to both Lutherans and non-Lutherans.. The spaces between the studs in the walls are closed with brick noggin. The pipe organ was installed in 1884, and the cast bronze bell was installed in the cupola in 1887 P.O. 1851-date.

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