In 2014, we paid a visit to Neuburg Congregational Church, in Hettinger County, after we ran across a newspaper article which billed Neuburg Congregational as the most remote church in North Dakota–nearly 25 miles from the nearest town. We found the place on the brink of dereliction, with weeds growing up around the foundation, the paint thoroughly peeled, and pigeons making a home in the steeple. You can check out our original post to see how it looked at the time.
Sometime after our visit, someone decided to bring Neuburg Congregational Church back from the brink. The rapidly deteriorating roof was replaced with steel roofing, fresh paint was applied, and the grounds were tidied up. Even the sign out front was repainted. Our friend Tim Riley from Lost Places on the Prairie got these photos of the much improved Neuburg Congregational in 2016.
Neuburg was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, and was featured in our book, Churches of the High Plains, in 2015.
Above, 2016, below, 2014.
Neuburg was so deeply rooted in the German heritage of area residents that, until 1957, all services were held in the German language.
Photos by Tim Riley, original content copyright © Sonic Tremor Media
Ghosts of North Dakota 
Teddy Hardmeyer of Mott gets credit for the paint job.
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Bob Friedt and Roger Miles are the ones who did the painting.
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Hope Klein spent 32 hours hand painting the sign.
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Casey Davison shingled the steeple and painted the cross and Milt’s building supply did the tin on the roof and new doors.
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The Interior of the Church Building was also in horrible condition with the pigeons living there as well as the steeple. An Individual took out 25 gallons of pigeon droppings from inside the Church and spent many long hard hours soaking, scraping, and brushing the floor and pews until they were clean and smelled nice again. Three people (with helpful donations from from several others) donated materials and labor and paid for materials and labor to restore the Neuburg Congregational Church to its present restoration.
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Hats off to you folks for preserving a piece of your state’s history. The church looks fantastic.
John from Massachusetts.
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My step grandmother is buried there. Thank you for making the church look awesome agaon
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Wonderful people who farm and ranch in the community donated time, money and love towards the restoration of this beautiful church. My mother and father donated money, supplies and time cleaning and scrubbing pews and the floor, a new roof, doors and paint. They are not ones to boast or say look at me for what I have done! Yes all the people mentioned contributed to this restoration and some who aren’t going around tooting their own horn also poured their heart and soul into it!
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I cleaned this Church by myself the first two years, and by the time I turned the cleaning duties over to someone else to do, it was 99.9% cleaned. It only needed wood restorer applied to the pews and floor, which was done by Marie Klein.
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Two WONDERFUL PEOPLE who Farm and Ranch in the area were going to BURN this Beautiful Church down and it was Three People who saved it. Get the Story Right.
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Three Men who Farm and Ranch in the area are the Ones Who Saved this Church.
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Nothing wrong for taking credit for HARD work that you did. I spent 32 HOURS restoring the sign! I deserve at least a comment stating that I did that. Give credit where credit is due.
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Not trying to Toot my Dads horn but he cleaned this Church for the first two years by himself. By the time he turned the cleaning duties over to someone else to do, the Church was 99.9% clean, and only needed to have wood restorer applied to the pews and floor; which was done by Marie Klein.
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My Grandparents (Edward and Luisa Klein) were the first couple to be married in the first Neuburg Church in 1906. My Wife and I were married in the present Church in 1997.
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Beautiful job. Nice to see it standing pound again.
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