It the late 1800’s the opportunities for interstate commerce were recognized in the Peninsula as the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad established a line from Richmond to Newport News.  To boost the settlement of this area, the railroad solicited industrious people to move to the area to farm the vacant but fertile land.

 

Our founders, who immigrated to the Midwest from Norway and Denmark, responded and moved again to Toano, Virginia.  Their principle religion was Lutheran, so they began by gathering a group of twenty or so people to meet at Mr. and Mrs. Swenson’s house along the York River, and for a while, also in a granary on the Edenlof farm.  These people formed Zion Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church on December 18, 1898.  The white steepled church was built in 1904 for a whopping $2,100.  Also, in 1904, this community of Scandinavians became known as Norge, James City County, Virginia, and a post office was established.

 

There were four different Scandinavian Lutheran denominations present in Norge.  They would rotate the language the sermon that was preached; one Sunday it was in Norwegian and the next Sunday in English.  In took a couple of years, but in 1932, Bethany Lutheran and the others Lutheran churches and synods merged into what became known as Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran Church located on our current property.

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On June 29, 1939, Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha of Norway visited our church.  The gave us a gift of a Norwegian Bible, which we display and cherish in our sanctuary.  

 

Many renovations to the building accrued over time.  Many changes to the Lutheran church synods came over time, as well.  When the Evangelical Lutheran Church In America was formed in 1988, we were a part of the new church family.

 

Today we cherish our Scandinavian Heritage, the determination of our fore-fathers and mothers.  But we also have enjoyed the new diversity of our community.  We continue to share the word of God with those that are around us and anticipate a faith-filled future of service and fellowship within and around our growing community.