Minister key to resurrection of historic church in Groton

Aug. 11--GROTON -- Over the past few years, questions have arisen over the future of Trinity Episcopal Church, the first church built in Groton. Since 1884, the structure has drawn worshippers to the corner of Third Avenue East and Third Street North.

Some have suggested moving the building to Aberdeen.

Paul Kosel, though, said he believes that, if a few more people showed up at the 5 p.m. service each Sunday, everything will be just fine.

Kosel, who leads the weekly services at the church, would like to see the old Episcopal church stay where it is.

"It's a part of Groton</location>. It's history," he said.

The church had been closed until Kosel started leading services in June 2013. Those weekly services continued until October and resumed again in mid-July. They'll continue until it gets cold again.

The old church has electricity, but no heat and no water. A furnace in the basement doesn't work. So services in the winter would be extremely chilly.

Since 1975, the church has been owned by the Brown County Historical Society, which received the deed from the bishop of the Episcopal diocese of South Dakota.

Most Sundays, theattendance averages three to five people, Kosel said. On a recent Sunday, the number increased to 18, when Betty Breck, of Groton played the violin.

Regular attendees are people who like history and like to be in historical surroundings, Kosel said. A collection is taken each Sunday, the proceeds of which are sent to the historical society, earmarked for church maintenance.

Upkeep of the building is about $2,000 a year, including $1,500 for insurance, said Sherri Rawstern, president of the historical society.

Kosel said he hopes more people will show up each Sunday and add to the collection. Those funds would make repairs possible and give the church stability.

Three main jobs need to be done:

-- The old furnace in the basement needs to be removed.

-- The stained glass windows need work.

-- The foundation has to be shored up.

Kosel said he also is hoping to get a heating system in place.

In addition to trying to give the church a future, Kosel leads the services. Even if he can reach one person, it's worthwhile, he said.

He also leads a service at 10 a.m. Sundays at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Pierpont, where he has worked for about 12 years.

The services Sunday in Groton are informal and last about half an hour.

The Groton church does not have any members. Kosel refers to the building as the historic Groton church. He was raised Lutheran, but he calls himself nondenominational.

"I don't preach any religion. I just preach out of the Bible," he said.

Offer made

Two years ago, the Brown County Historical Society offered to transfer ownership of the church to the city of Groton.

In a letter to Rawstern in September 2013, Groton Mayor Scott Hanlon wrote that the proposal generated a lot of discussion at City Council meetings.

"Although the city of Groton would love to accept ownership of the church and have it open to the public regularly, the City Council feels that there is not enough traffic in Groton to really let the public see the beauty of the church and appreciate the historic features," Hanlon wrote.

Even if funds were available, Hanlon wrote, "there is still no demand for the use of the church, or the tourist industry to allow for the best display of this property. In the two weeks of public input, we only had two persons come in who wished to keep the church in its original place and neither of these persons had the financial ability to assist with the repairs needed. We still care about the future of the church and hope that wherever you find to relocate it that more people can see the church and appreciate the unique features."

In a 2012 letter, the late Roy Olson, who preceded Hanlon as Groton's mayor, wrote, "Many citizens have a warm place in their hearts for this church, even if they have never attended any services there."

The historical society tries to meet at the Groton church once each summer. The organization is content to own the church for now, Rawstern said. But like many organizations, the size of the historical society is declining. It reached its peak in 1985.

"We used to have close to 100 members. Now we're under 20," said Rawstern, explaining that the historical society recognizes that the church is an historic building and would like to have it owned by someone who will be around for a while and have sufficient financial resources.

Move suggested

It was suggested that the building be moved to Wylie Park in Aberdeen.

"We did look at possibly relocating that to Wylie Park, but have decided not to pursue that, so we really do not have an interest in that at this point in time," Doug Johnson, director of the Aberdeen Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, said last week.

Breck, who lives nearby, is a great admirer of the church. She walks past it every day.

Although she likes the church where it is, she's not opposed to seeing the building moved elsewhere. Her main concern is making sure it's preserved, especially the stained glass windows.

In Aberdeen, more people would see it, Breck said. It could perhaps be used as a wedding chapel.

She has decided to join the Brown County Historical Society and will apply for grants to maintain the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Kosel is not compensated for his work at the Groton church. Neither is neighbor Topper Tostad, who mows the church's lawn.

Standing in front of the church, Kosel expressed concern about a very tall tree that looms over the old Episcopal church.

"What's scary is that big tree," he said. "If it ever comes down, bye-bye church."

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