^{Swedish Lutheran Zion Church}
Museum

Zion's Museum Open
"Silverhill's Heritage Day"
October 20, 2007

     "We really have many things that relate to the heritage of Silverhill and Baldwin County," Ernie Burnett notes. "We've even added a thing or two since last year. For instance, we finally got the Swedish poem from about 90 years ago, translated with the help of a fellow from Robertsdale." Wife Henrie offers, "We've had our popular church medallion, which was commissioned for our Zion Church Centennial in 2005, reset. It is just as attractive, and references our founding date as Est. 1905." Henrie and Ernie will welcome visitors to the Museum of Zion Lutheran Church for "Silverhill Heritage Day" Saturday, October 20, 2007 from 10 AM to 2 PM. The museum is located at the rear of the historic church.

     Henrie Burnett (l) holds a new Zion Lutheran Church medallion, about the size of a 50 cent piece, and Ernie Burnett holds a 90 year old manuscript of a Swedish poem penned in Silverhill. The Burnetts will host visitors to the Zion Lutheran Church Museum from 10 AM to 2 PM on October 20, Silverhill's "Heritage Day."

     Visitors will be able to enjoy complimentary refreshments in the new Fellowship Hall. The original historic church sanctuary will also be open for Heritage Day. It is located a block south of State Highway 104 at 15875 4th Avenue at 7th Street in beautiful Silverhill. Information is available by calling (251) 945-5209. 

     The Zion Church Museum holds sundry materials which reveal the rich history of Swedish immigrants to Silverhill. The legal incorporation document for "Swedish Lutheran Zion Church" was written in Swedish in a "composition blue book" in 1905 (open on top shelf). The actual costs for materials and volunteer labor used in the existing historic church building were itemized in a notebook in 1915 (open on second shelf). A variety of devotional materials complete this particular exhibit in the Museum.

     The Museum attempts to preserve history. Memories of some early immigrants are long-lost. John Erik Elfstrand is a good example. Remnants of the Oscar Johnson family, the "first" family in Silverhill, the "founder" of the community, is well remembered and his works continue to be honored because the family continues to thrive. Besides donating land for the Covenant and Baptist churches, he donated land for Zion Lutheran Church. Not so with another early community benefactor. John Erik Elfstrand was the source for major funds for the Zion church building in 1915, in today's dollars, probably donating something like 40 to 50 thousand dollars to build a Lutheran church for the community. The family died out and in the United States is long gone. The "Ladies Aid" formally took care of the Elfstrand grave site until about 1929. The church was so thankful that they placed a plaque in the church sanctuary where it remained for years, but time obscured why it was there. The plaque is on display in the Zion Museum.

     Museum holdings reveal limitations of people living in Silverhill a hundred years ago. Before the availability of paper for bulletins, for instance, hymn numbers were chalked on a "hymn board" that was placed at the front of the church. This particular hymn board is mock slate and likely was used on the second floor of the Silverhill School in 1905 to 1915 or earlier to list the hymns for worship for the small Lutheran congregation that met in the schoolhouse before the church was built directly across the street from the front school yard. The hymn board is also on display in the Zion Lutheran Church Museum along with many other historic artifacts.

     In past years, Zion Lutheran Church has had bake sales, sponsored fish fries, and even entered a float in the parade. Also pictured is the 1987 “Viking Ship” float made by the Nitteberg family.

Click on the Heritage Day pictures (right) to go to a separate page of Zion Lutheran Church - Heritage Day Memories.

         Heritage Day 2005, was the first Heritage Day that Zion opened its doors to the community to tour the new Library and Museum. A special thanks goes to Ernie and Henrietta Burnett for locating and displaying many artifacts dating back to the early days of “Swedish Lutheran Zion Church”. The Museum was inaugurated August of 2004 but since Heritage Day 2004 was cancelled due to Hurricane Ivan, 2005 was its first Heritage Day.

Click on the Museum pictures (left) to go to a separate page for the Zion Lutheran Church Museum.