Thunderstorms cause fire at Saxon Lutheran Memorial Visitor Center in Perry County

PERRY COUNTY, Mo. (KBSI) — A thunderstorm struck again in Perry County, causing significant damage to the Saxon Lutheran Memorial Visitor Center after it was hit by lightning late last night. The fire destroyed the building, which had long been a key historical landmark in the area.

The Saxon Lutheran Memorial, which preserves the history of German immigration to the area, has been a point of pride for Perry County residents for decades. According to locals, the memorial holds great sentimental value. The visitor center that burned down was one of the more recent structures on the grounds, but it housed important historical artifacts.

Fortunately, no other buildings on the property were damaged, and no one was injured in the fire.

Frank Lucas, Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg, shared the significance of the memorial.

“The Saxon Lutheran Memorial grounds are a shared heritage for all the Lutherans in the area,” Lucas said. “Many of the towns on the East End were founded by Saxon German immigrants who fled religious persecution in Europe. These buildings preserve the history of their journey and the churches they founded.”

Some structures on the grounds date back to the 1800s, and the visitor center had been an essential part of the site, especially during the annual fall festival. The event attracts people from around the region to learn about the lives of the early immigrants. The loss of the visitor center has many wondering about the future of the memorial.

“People come out to see the different buildings and learn about how the immigrants lived when they first arrived,” Lucas said. “The fall festival was a big part of this, and now it’s hard to imagine what it will look like moving forward.”

This is just the latest in a series of challenges for the Perry County community, which has already dealt with damage from winter storms and tornadoes this year.

“It’s difficult to lose something so closely tied to the identity of so many people here, especially something as significant as their Lutheran heritage,” Lucas said.