Ebenezer Church

Evangelical services were being held in homes in Paynesville by the time the town was officially organized in 1858. Many Evangelical churches were built in the area and organized into circuits that shared a minister. The first Evangelical church in Paynesville was built in 1860. This building was destroyed in the Dakota War of 1862, but re-built in 1872.

The Salem church was built in 1871, the Zion church in 1874, and the Grove church in

1891.

The Ebenezer Church was built in 1895. Many of the families who first attended the Ebenezer church were from Germany, and early services were held in German. The Ebenezer church was used regularly until 1968.

At that time, the Ebenezer, the Salem and the Paynesville Methodist churches were closed and

united with First Church Paynesville. This was the result of the merger between the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodists which created a new denomination called United Methodists.

The Ebenezer Church was cared for by the Ebenezer Cemetery Association until the fall

of 2011, when it was then donated to the Historical Society and transported to its current location.