507 Dale Street North
St Paul, MN, USA

507 Dale Street North, St Paul, MN, USA

Saint Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
By Jane McClure

The beautiful Gothic Revival style brick church was a landmark in Frogtown from 1919 until its demolition in 2010. The church, designed by Saint Paul architect William Alban, had a four-story spire, a lancet arched entry and lancet stained glass windows, side stepped buttresses and a rose window. It was the second church built on the property.

Saint Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in Frogtown in 1887. The first church was built on the site in 1888. The congregation was German, made up of workers from the railroads and other industries. Services were held in German.

A devastating fire destroyed the church in 1918. The congregation didn’t hesitate to plan its new building. Alban was a well-known architect; his buildings included Fairmount Avenue United Methodist Church and Payne Avenue State Bank.

1919 also marked the first year English-language services were held at Saint Matthew’s. German services would continue until the congregation moved out in 1950.

Church of the Nazarene moved into the building after that, followed by saint John’s Church of Christ in 1964 and the Lively Stone Temple of Jesus Church (Apostolic faith) in 1968. In 1974 Rock of Ages Missionary Baptist Church moved in, staying until 2009.

After a long struggle and rising maintenance costs, the Baptist congregation moved out of the church. Their efforts to save the structure failed and the Saint Paul City Council ordered its demolition. The Church of the Nazarene erected a cross on the site after the church was demolished.

Cite this Page
Jane McClure, “Saint Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church,” Saint Paul Historical, accessed June 29, 2022, https://saintpaulhistorical.com/items/show/191.