And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

Thank you to Mark Miller, contributing writer with the Bluffton News-Banner for capturing this photo of the historic Emmanuel Church on County Road 500 West just north of Rockford. The photo appeared in the Friday, February 7, 2025 Bluffton News-Banner. For more details about the history of the church, go to the December 15, 2024 post within this web page.

Mark Miller writes: A crew from Kaehr Excavating was busing Thursday doing demolition work on the historic Emmanuel Church on County Road 500 West just north of Rockford. Built in 1912 at a cost of $12,650 and designed by Bluffton architect Charles Houck, the building last hosted a congregation in 2001 and has set vacant since. Perhaps the more significant part of the church’s history was its stained glass windows, designed and fabricated by the W.B. Brown Company of Bluffton, which was and remains famous for its artistic windows, lighting fixtures and furniture. Taylor Williams, a spokesperson for the church trustees who have overseen the property since the church closed, said that one set of windows will be donated to the Wells County Historical Society “We’re still looking for a home for the others,” she said. The group is also determining the eventual status of the church property which includes a cemetery. At left is a photo of the church from its dedication program

The photo about was taken in the summer of 2024. More photos appear in the December 15, 2024 post on this web page.