For years, this church has been marked on one of my maps as “Haunting Lignite Church,” a descriptor I pasted on it due to its weathered exterior, devoid of paint, and the tall steeple that stands high above the prairie. I found out about it a long time ago, and knowing nothing about it, marked it as a place I wanted to photograph the next time I was in the area.
In July of 2016 I finally found myself passing by and stopped to get a few photos. The church is in Burke County, just a mile southwest of Lignite, at the end of a long road into a farmer’s pasture. I posted some of my phone photos on our Facebook page, and visitors Jade Feldner and Lisa Knutson both commented to say this church is in their family’s pasture. It originally stood in Lignite, and was a Norwegian Lutheran Church. It was moved here at some point in the past and was used as a barn for a time.
What do you know about this church? Please leave a comment below.
Photos by Troy Larson, copyright © Sonic Tremor Media
Ghosts of North Dakota 
As far as I know this was First Lutheran Church and was where my grandmother Hilda Kostad now Johnson was confirmed.
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Your last photo, with the bales and road, is awesome! Really like the road, adds a lot!!!
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Thank you, Dean.
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That church was moved there by our cousins. They were going to renovate it into their home back in later 70’s. She was going to have her sewing room up in the steeple. Things happened so it never was done. It would have been fun.
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We were going to do the work for them.
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We were married in that church in July, 1960.
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lovely church. I am traveling through ND in a few weeks. If this is in a farmers pasture can people travel on the road to photograph it or do you have to photograph from a distance.
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I grew up in Lignite and remember becore it was moved. Beautiful pictures!! Love them.
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We were married in that church in June 24, 1973. There was one wedding the next weekend (June 30). It was the last wedding held in that church
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My mother Bonnie G. Huttner (Soehren) remembers this church from when she was a girl and she went there while it was in town. Her friend Cherry Hermanson had it moved to the corner out south of town to make it into a house. She remembers it fondly.
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My husband, Norman Kostad was confirmed in that church and my daughter was baptized in that church.
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Is this still standing — want to photograph it this summer.
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Dear Gwen,
I was there in August 2019 and found quite a bit of hay, equipment, and other related farm related stuff parked / stacked near the church. Takes a lens longer than 200mm to get close to a fuller frame from the road in front of this location. Not sure that a decent photo other than what is here can be had now? Let me know what you find?
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