About

St. Paul Lutheran Church, located in the western portion of Wythe County, has generally been accepted as the first Lutheran congregation in what is now Wythe County. The land entry records show that the land was settled in 1776 and that a meeting house and minister's house were built prior to 1781. The date of the establishment of the church is usually given as 1776, although no precise written church record documents the year. The property on which the church stands was a grant from King George II of Great Britain in about 1746 and was to be used for religious worship, education, and a cemetery. The first of five structures were built of logs and used as a school, as well as a church. The last and present structure was built in 1916. The church had several names before becoming St. Paul in 1829.