Cordelia Lutheran Church was dedicated by Pastor Peter Carlson on December 15, 1883 and is the oldest Lutheran building in the state of Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

 The church was built on property given by Andrew Olson in the Lenville, Idaho area to serve the Swedish

Swedish American

Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...

 Lutheran families in the area. In 1920, the building ceased to be used for regular church services. The building and surrounding 31 acres (12.5 ha) is currently owned by Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Moscow, Idaho and administered by a non-profit group named Friends of Cordelia. The building is used for picnics, socials and Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

 Sunrise service

Sunrise service

Sunrise service is a worship service on Easter. It takes the place of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran tradition of the Easter Vigil, and is practised mainly by Protestant churches...

 by area residents.

In 1948 money was made available by the daughter of Andrew Olson to restore the building. The structure has undergone several additional major renovations, most recently in 1996 and 2001. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1995. The site is located south of the junction of the Genesee-Troy Road and Danielson Road to the southeast of Moscow, Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...

 in Latah County

Latah County, Idaho

Latah County is a county located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho. The population was 37,244 at the 2010 census. The county seat and largest city is Moscow, which is the home of the University of Idaho, the state's flagship and land-grant university...

. There is a small cemetery behind the church.