Clean-Up Day October 18 Marks Next Chapter in Emmanuel Church’s Restoration

Washington County Times
Sep 16
3 min read

A Community Posting by Tom Hein

Historic Emmanuel Church around 1900, before the steeple and bell were removed in the 1960’s.

Martinsburg, Indiana – The Emmanuel Church and Cemetery Association will host a Clean-Up Day on Saturday, October 18, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. A pitch-in lunch will be at 1:00. Volunteers are invited to bring gloves, rakes, and other tools to help with grounds maintenance, painting and general site preparation. In case of rain, there is plenty of inside cleaning and dusting. This community effort marks the next chapter in the ongoing restoration of the historic Emmanuel Church.

Restoring a Landmark: The 2025 Restoration of Historic Emmanuel Church

Standing quietly on the Washington–Clark County line at 10296 Voyles Road in Borden, Indiana, Emmanuel Church has been a steadfast landmark since 1872. Once the center of religious and social life for the area’s German community, it now serves as a visible reminder of the faith, traditions, and craftsmanship brought to southern Indiana by 19th-century immigrants.

A Church Built by Immigrants

Emmanuel was built by German immigrants—families of Hein, Fischer, Tempel, and Racke (Rockey)—who had settled in the Jackson, Wood, and Greenville Townships of Washington, Clark, and Floyd Counties. These settlers came from Oberstedten, Germany, a small village about 20 miles north of Frankfurt. The adjacent cemetery, with roughly 125 graves, reflects their enduring presence, holding the remains of many original settlers and their descendants.

Constructed using traditional German timber-framing methods, Emmanuel features diagonal wooden beams in its walls and vertical beams at each corner, distributing weight to massive sill logs that rest on hand-cut limestone blocks. Each beam was meticulously cut, fitted, and marked with Roman numerals—a signature of 19th-century German craftsmanship.

Transition and Preservation

When the U.S. German Evangelical Church merged with the United Church of Christ in the 1920s, Emmanuel chose to associate with the United Methodist Church. The Methodists ceased services at Emmanuel and turned the church and cemetery over to the Emmanuel Church and Cemetery Association in 2000.

Urgent Repairs

A new roof was installed in 2023, but a termite infestation discovered that year had already destroyed nearly 75% of the perimeter sill logs. Although the vertical corner beams temporarily held the structure together, without intervention the building would have collapsed.

In June 2025, the Association hired Ben Tyler Building and Remodeling of Louisville, specialists in timber frame restoration, to replace the sill logs. The project involved carefully lifting the building with hydraulic jacks and resetting it on new 6" x 12" red oak beams, preserving the original limestone foundation stones (which will need tuckpointing in the future).

Continuing Challenges

The north wall floor joists, originally attached to the sill log, will also need to be lifted and reattached to the new beam in a later phase.

Emmanuel’s church steeple was leaking and removed in the 1960’s. Often the symbolic connection between the congregation and heaven, Emmanuel’s steeple will also be replaced in a later phase.

Preserving History

Jackson Township now has only two historic churches remaining—Emmanuel (1872) and Bethlehem Presbyterian (1879). Though neither hosts active congregations, both remain standing through the dedication of volunteers and community support.

The Emmanuel Church and Cemetery Association is grateful for the many contributions received to keep Emmanuel standing for another 150 years. Special recognition is extended to the Washington County Community Foundation and the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation for their generous grants.