The New Hope Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church was constructed in 1889 in the rural township of New Hope, Portage County. The building is an excellent representative of traditional rural church design with modest Gothic Revival styling as seen in its steeply-pitched roof and pointed arch windows with stained-glass detailing. In addition to the church building, the property also includes two adjacent cemeteries (established in 1858 and 1890) and a small privy (built c.1890). Although modest in size and scale, the church is distinguished by its well-preserved interior which features delicate “spindlework” detailing, a full-width balcony, and pointed arch transoms with hand-painted Norwegian Bible verses.

Through the 1840s and 1850s, Wisconsin was a frequent destination for Norwegian immigrants to the United States. By the late 1860s, more than half of all Norwegians in America were living in Wisconsin and nearly six townships in Wisconsin’s Portage County – including New Hope – were entirely Norwegian in composition. The New Hope Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church served as the religious and community center of its congregants through 1967 when, due to decreasing membership, it ceased holding regular worship services. Since then, the building has been owned and maintained by the South New Hope Cemetery Association which opens the church to community events throughout the year. The building is also available for private rental.