Solomons Lutheran Church Christmas Card

Solomons Lutheran Church Christmas Card

Solomons Lutheran Church (New Market Va)

In 1793 Henrich and Dorthea Rausch offered to provide land an almost no cost for members of the Forestville community to construct a church on. The community accepted the offer because the area’s growing population, which had originally travelled long distances to either Old Pine Church or Raders Church, needed a closer site for worship. Thus began Solomons Church.

Originally both Lutheran and Reformed Congregations met in the original church building which was completed in 1795. In 1851 these two groups decided to construct their own churches, In 1876 the current Solomons Lutheran Church was built immediately adjacent to the original church building which was sold and later demolished.

In 1915 the church’s Sunday School classes distributed this Christmas card. Most likely it was sent to members of the congregation. It lists the class rolls and teachers, whose last names are still prominent in the area.

On the front of the card is a photograph of the church building complete with separate entrances for men and women. The photograph also highlights just how rural of a congregation Solomons was and remains. However, the number of names listed, the design of the card, and the church itself indicates the congregation at the time was large and devoted. Today, a declining local population means the church, and many like it in areas of the county, are dealing with declining membership and the funds needed to operate.

Solomons Lutheran Church Sunday School

Moses Getz Collection

Shenandoah County Library

1915

Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial (CC-BY-NC)