1850s church gets upgrade after windstorm tore off its roof

GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) - A more than 160-year-old northern Indiana church has gotten a face-lift four years after a windstorm tore off its roof, leaving it in danger of demolition.

St. John's Lutheran Church was built in the early 1850s just west of Goshen with separate entrances for men and women, which was the custom at the time.

The Elkhart Truth reports the wood-frame church's future was uncertain after the 2014 storm destroyed its roof and damaged gravestones in its cemetery.

But a group called the Friends of the St. John's Lutheran Church, and the Harrison Township Trustee are making improvements.

They've spent about $100,000 to replace the roof, paint the exterior and other upgrades.

Donations are being sought to repair the damaged gravestones and install solar panels to heat and power the building.

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Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.elkharttruth.com