The White Lake Area Historical Society will host its first gathering of the 2025 season Thursday, May 15 at 7 p.m. at Lebanon Lutheran Church in Whitehall. The Society will go over the history of the building, with photographs and news articles on display that show much of its interior remains true to the original design. Guests are welcome to attend.
The church was originally known as the Swedish Lutheran Church when it was founded in 1872, with the building following in 1877.
One of the features of this church is its bell tower, which has an iron bell roughly four feet in diameter, produced in 1892 by the
Buckeye Bell Company of Ohio. A unique feature of this bell is the
“tolling rope.” When the bell is struck with the special three-inch metal
ball encased in leather and suspended by the rope, a much more
subdued sound is produced than one in response to the more common "ringing rope."
Each year, the church pays tribute to its history with a summer Swedish Smorgasbord event with an array of traditional food.
