The Saxons have arrived and a community is born.

                                                                                  called Perry County that you will soon be calling home. 

 

This is what the 600+ Saxon Lutheran immigrants faced as they disembarked onto the shores in Wittenberg, MO.  They traveled here by ship from Bremen, Germany through New Orleans and up the river to St. Louis.   There they stayed for a few months until land was purchased and they could finally settle and become a community again.  The early settlements were called: Wittenberg, Dresden, Seelitz, Altenburg, Frohna, Johannesberg, and Paitzdorf (later changed to Uniontown).  This was the beginning of the East Perry County community as we know it today with Altenburg, Frohna, Uniontown, and  Wittenberg being the remaining active communities rich in church history, German culture and family heritage. 

 

The Saxons suffered many difficulties and losses, yet through persistence, determination, good community neighbors from Brazeau and above all, devout faith in God, they survived.  Not only that, they thrived.  They were a hardy bunch with a mission to be able to freely worship and teach in a way that was agreeable with their conscience.  And in this endeavor they also succeeded.

 

The Saxon Lutheran Memorial is an outdoor history museum in the setting of a log cabin village located on the homestead and farm of an early pioneer name Thomas Twyman since 1820.  In 1839 it was bought by brothers Wilhelm and Christian Bergt whose family lived here from one generation to the next for 118 years.  The SLM is an integral part of the establishment of the East Perry County community by the courageous, dedicated and devout Saxon Lutheran immigrants from Germany in 1839.  It is dedicated to their pioneering spirit, the early lifestyles of homesteading and the beginning of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod which is all displayed throughout the various exhibits in our museum and log cabins on the property.

 

You are welcome to make arragements to schedule a tour for your family, organization, church or school by

contacting the curator, Lynda Lorenz at the information listed below. 

Tour buses and large groups are welcome, please schedule in advance.

 

Saxon Lutheran Memorial

Lynda Lorenz, Curator

296 Saxon Memorial Drive

Frohna, MO 63748

 

573-824-5404

  

 

The property where the Saxon Lutheran Memorial is located was originally owned by a frontiersman named, Thomas Twyman from North Caorlina in 1820.  He built a log cabin, two slave cabins and a barn, which are all still on the property and available for viewing while on the tour. 

 

The slave cabin pictured on the right, is set up as a display cabin depicting how the interior of a cabin may have appeared at the time Mr. Twyman's slaves lived in them during the 1820's.  

 

In 1839, the property was purchased by two brothers, Adolph and Wilhelm Bergt.  They were members of the Saxon Lutheran immigration that arrived from Germany and settled in Frohna, MO.  They built a second cabin in 1840-41 which is attached to the 1820's cabin.  Later they built on to the original log barn by adding a larger frame  structure around it.  The Bergt family lived here for many generations; a total of 117 continuous years.  After Miss Lina Bergt's death in 1956, the last Bergt family member to live on the property,  a local farmer bought the farmstead for the purpose of working the fields. 

 

It was nothing short of a miracle that God led Dr. Kramer, a distant relative of the Bergt's, to inquire about purchasing the property and literally save it from destruction.  So in 1961 the Concordia Historical Institute of St. Louis; the archival arm of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, had raised enough funds to make the purchase.  After many trips from St. Louis to Frohna, brown-bag lunches and days of intense labor their dream was realized by opening the buildings to the public in 1964.  The purpose and mission of CHI, along with the SLM Council, is to preserve & restore the buildings and site so that it will always be available to the public & LCMS church-at-large as an historic site; a memorial to the Saxon Lutheran immigration.  Specifically, the Bergt family, whose homestead is the last remaining complete farmstead complex from that era.  

 

I invite you to come visit this amazing site, where you can learn something new by seeing something old.

 

 

573-824-5404                                                Monday - closed

296 Saxon Memorial Drive                        Tuesday - Saturday  9am - 5pm

Frohna, MO 63748                                        Sunday 1pm - 4pm

slmlynda@att.net                                          Closed on most holidays

 

 

At the end of a quiet gravel road, in the heart of the country, atop rolling pasture hills and wooded land, you will surely find rest and relaxation.  When you travel to the Saxon Lutheran Memorial you will find all of that and more.  You will also find interesting rich history, possibly familiar surroundings and personal connections, family traditons and a heritage deeply rooted in 

German culture mixed with devout religious Lutheran beliefs. 

 

When making a visit, whether you are just passing through or have called ahead to schedule a tour, you can be assured of an experience you won' t soon forget no matter how long or short of time you have time to spend.  There are many picturesque opportunities,  beautiful natural surroundings and always an interesting story or two.  All of this is freely available, however, since we are a non-profit organization, you are encouraged to consider leaving a free-will offering to help continue the preservation and upkeep of this important historic site.

 

Our site offers a variety of useful opportunities.  We have space enough to accomodate medium sized groups (50-100)very comfortably under the pavillion at the Visitor's Center. 

Are you planning a family get-together, an anniversary, or a birthday party?  We have space to accomodate your group.  Do you belong to an organization that is looking for a place to meet? 

 We can put you  on our calendar once you have called ahead to schedule.

    

 COMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

 

Load up the car and come on over to give the site

a breath of new life for the start of 

SLM's 2011 season. 

No matter what Mother Nature provides, bring a picnic,

 pack your camera, invite some friends and come on over

because  we are ready to welcome our visitors once again.  

Tuesday - Saturday; 9am - 5pm

Sunday; 1pm - 4pm

Monday - closed

 

Please call ahead if you are coming with a big group or bus tour so we can be better prepared to arrange a  tour for your group.  We are able to accomodate charter buses and welcome the tour companies.

 

 

  Things you can bake in the brick oven:

muffins, bread, pie, cobbler, cake, granola, casseroles, meats, rolls, pizza

 

 

The SLM has been invited to participate in this extraordinary event to demonstrate skills & tasks from the 1800's. 

It is an indoor & outdoor event that appeals to people of all ages, but particularly children; there are 25 different activities and demonstrations geared toward children.  There are over 200 booths covering all outdoor activities and adventures.  It is a FREE event and it located on the St. Clair High School campus on Hwy 30.  You can find out all the information about seminars, contests, demonstrations, vendors, food, lodging, etc by going to thier website:

 

 

 Sunday, April 3, 2011

 

 

All items being auctioned have been donated solely for the purpose of this auction; nothing that has been donated for the purpose of being displayed at the museum will be sold.  The proceeds from this auction will go towards the completion of the Machine Shed addition.

 

We thank the many people who so generously have given items to be put on the sale bill, particularly we thank Earl & Jeri Falast for the idea and donation of the contents of the home they are tearing down.  None of this would be possible without their generosity.

 

Two days to come get a glimpse of the SLM in action. 

 

There will be about a dozen hands-on demonstrations being done:

soap making, hand-hewing a log, shingle making, clothes washing, oven baking, gardening, blacksmithing, horse &  buggy rides, etc. 

And we will have a variety of crafters just in time for you to find that one-of-a-kind gift for those spring and summer

holidays and special occassions. 

It is the perfect time to get your gardens started, vegetable & flower

by getting your starter plants here.

Of course, you won't go away hungry since the bread oven will be full of bread and coffee cake for tasting and purchasing.

It's a great family day to see what is in the area and how you can enjoy spending a full day in East Perry County. 

Visit all the sites while you are in town & following the map.

 

 

 

The stage line up is full of well known musicians and artists.  They span the area from St. Louis to our own Perry County pride and joy.  You will find your toes tapping to the wonderful sounds of groups like:

The Punches Family, Fredericktown, MO

Blue Steel Rail, O'Fallon, MO

The Gibsons, Marquand, MO

Janie Brown and the Chestnut Mountain Gang, Jackson, MO

George Portz and the Friends of Bluegrass, Mascutah, IL

The Sounds of Bluegrass with Heather Stortz, Perryville, MO

 

George Portz will lead a Fiddle Frolic and Jammers are welcome.

 

Tickets can be purchased for this event: $13 in advance, $15 at the gate.

Ages 15 and under are free with paying adult.

Food vendors will be on the grounds and there will be a special patriotic tribute at the end compliments of Hoffmann Fireworks.

 

For more information about the schedule for the day, our business sponsors, and lodging discounts, please see our Bluegrass Festival tab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The council sets a couple of days a month to work on projects,

repairs, and ongoing enhancements to the site.  You are invited to join us each time or as time allows. 

 The day usually begins around 8am and goes until about 2pm - 

lunch is always provided. 

Here are the upcoming scheduled days: 

TBA