little white church (evangelische lutherische kirche)

This tiny church in the tiny town of Elbe is worth a brief visit. Well maintained and dating back to the early 1900s it evokes the charm of years gone by. Services and weddings still go on here, and the organ is original to the building. Curved, hand-hewn pews add to its nostalgic charm.

This tiny (18-by-24 foot) church sits on its original location in the beautiful foothills west of Mount Rainier. The town of Elbe, Washington, has a rich German heritage and bears the name of the founders' origin, the Elbe River valley near Hamburg, Germany. As it has since 1906, the church signifies peace and tranquility to residents and tourists alike.Beginning in 1893, worshipers met in homes and the town hall until the church was constructed in 1906. A founder of the town, Heinrich Lutkens, donated the land and material for the church. Pastor Karl Kilian designed this simple yet pleasing building, and the townspeople built it themselves. Pastor Kilian served his Elbe flock from 1906 to 1933.Forged by the town's first blacksmith, a 4-foot iron cross tops the 46-foot steeple, which houses the first bell. The church still features its original altar and elevated pulpit as well as one of the hand-carved pews. The original Farrand & Votey bellows organ is still used for worship and weddings. Offerings are taken with the traditional "Klingelbeutel" (a small red-velvet bag with a bell on it.)Dr. Ervin E. Krebs conducted the research that led to the church's placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.Experience the simple charm of this tiny church where "time meets eternity." Worship services are held at 2:30 p.m. on the third Sunday of the month from March through November. Volunteers care for the Elbe Ev. Kirche, relying on donations to maintain this historic church building.

This is a very small Lutheran Church ( 18' x 24') dating to 1906. Its on the National Register of Historic Buildings. There is the original organ, alter, blacksmith forged cross and hand carved pews. Services are still held there on the third Sunday of every month. It a testament to the will of man to put God in their small community and it was all built by hand under the guidance of one man..

Located right in the heart of Elbe near the Mt. Rainier scenic railway. We didn't go in but it was a small building and cute to take pictures in front of. If you end up eating in the area it's something to see since it's located right along the highway but it's not worth it's own trip.

Little white church with a long history in a beautiful setting. Articles and pictures from the time it was a schoolhouse as well as the transformation to a church make it an interesting place to look through.

Charming little church that I would love to get married in, but not again (2x is the charm for me).There are many places to eat in the small town and an awesome burger kiosk across the road from the church (don't miss it the burgers are really good).

With the fall colors in the background this little church stood out next to the vacant railroad cars.

Nice, historical place, very old church, clean and well kept. Its also available for weddings. Food nearby in the railroad cars, upscale and worth while - beautiful location, we'll come here again.

We stopped in while waiting for the Scenic Steam Train Ride in Elbe. Very tiny but well preserved. The volunteer had much to tell us. It was an interesting side attraction.

This little church looked like a proud symbol of faith and community. It stood tall despite its size. It was an inviting site for taking photos, checking history or just admiring the view. The railroad businesses nearby are also interesting.

We stopped to look at the little white church while we waited for the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad trip. It was a cute restored and maintained church building. There was a nice platform built on the side so we could easily view through the window. There was also a nice amount of history and information that was interesting to read. What we found charming was that it is not only a historical building but still currently in use - they have monthly services through the warm months and use it for weddings and special occasions. It's nice to see history preserved in such a nice and shareable way.

Not Much to see other than the outside of this tiny church.

Cute stop on the way to Mt. St. Helens from Eatonville. Great photo op for people who like roadside wonders. The scenery behind the church is beautiful and the church itself is a cute little sight!

After we had gone on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad...we stopped at the tiny chapel next door since we are Lutherans. The history was interesting and when we spoke to the two volunteers asking where they were from.... and when we told them we were from Ocean Shores WA...they asked if we knew a couple that worsjipped at the local Lutheran Church there?Yes we did...and to make a point on how small the world is...that couple presented the worship service the following day because the pastor was on vaction. We had already found out that the couple we sat with on the train had graduated from the same high school. We have found local people all over the world...amazing isn't it how the world has shrunk!