This example of Whipple Gothic architecture sits in the Lower Sioux Indian Community. It was built there in 1889 for a community of Dakota people returning after their exile in the aftermath of the Dakota War of 1862.
These two 19th-century churches display the architectural development of rural church buildings. Valley Grove stands out as they have maintained both buildings, rather than replacing the older one completely upon the construction of the newer one.
This "rural gothic" style Episcopal church was constructed in 1858 — only three years after Northfield was founded. It was consecrated by Bishop Henry Whipple, a well-known state leader who advocated for the rights of Minnesota's indigenous…