Bethany Lutheran Church in Ephraim Uncovers Original 1882 Siding

Click to enlarge. The original 1882 siding extended all the way to the ground,
indicating that the church’s stone wall was likely a decorative addition
added when the building was covered up with asbestos siding around 1950.
At the time, asbestos siding was considered trouble free because it required
little if any maintenance and was fireproof.

Click to enlarge. Bethany Lutheran Church after removal of 1950s-era siding. The small vestry, behind and right of the church, was where the pastor put on clerical vestments before worship service. Note that it does not have original siding, so was likely built at the same time as installation of asbestos siding.

Ephraim, Wis. (December 15, 2021) – Ephraimites coasting by the intersection of Hwy Q and Moravia Street have witnessed impressive improvements to the exterior of Bethany Lutheran Church. Church council members were hoping that if the building’s 1950-era siding was removed, original 1882 lumber would be revealed. That is exactly what happened.

Bethany hired Asbestos Removal, Inc (Green Bay) to remove the 70-year-old planks. Beneath was original “clear” cedar siding, free of knots and fashioned from old growth forest harvested during Wisconsin’s logging era (many historians consider 1880 the peak of Wisconsin’s logging era). ES Olsson Construction (Baileys Harbor) power-washed the building, then made minor repairs to the belfry and roof. The 1882 siding soaked up two coats of primer and one coat of finishing paint. This spring, painting of the west side of the church will finish off the project. Generous donations from Bethany Lutheran Church members and friends enabled the success of the project.

Many thanks to Bethany Lutheran Church Council Member Randy Nelson for sharing renovation information and reviewing this article.