Topeka Lutheran School - History

History

Lutheran elementary schools date back to the 1830s when Lutheran congregations established Christian Day Schools for their children. Topeka Lutheran School has been in operation since 1874 when the Rev. P.G. Germann, pastor of the newly established St. John's Lutheran Church, organized a private school in the church basement at 2nd and Harrison streets in Topeka. The school soon became a church project, and in 1885, the congregation built a two-room school house. St. John's Lutheran School continued to grow, and in 1888 they added a third room to the facility.

In 1919, the church bought three lots at 4th and Harrison in Topeka, and opened a new school at this location in 1922. By 1948, this facility had grown to a five-room operation and was quickly outgrowing it. So in 1949, the church purchased a plot of ground at 7th and Roosevelt.

On July 3, 1951, the Lutheran School Association, Topeka, Kansas, was organized by four Missouri Synod Lutheran churches in the Topeka area. At that time, St. John's Lutheran School became Topeka Lutheran School, and a new facility was opened at 701 SW Roosevelt in September 1952. The school continues to be located at 701 SW Roosevelt, although it has undergone several additions / remodeling projects since then. Currently, three Topeka Lutheran church congregations are associated with the school: St. John’s, Faith, and Christ Lutheran Churches.