preserving and sharing our history

The Perry Historical Center (PHC) was established in 1986 to preserve and promote the history of Perry Lutheran Church and surrounding area, and to organize our collection of records, photos, and other memorabilia.  While the majority of our collection is focused on the church, there are many other resources available that pertain to Daleyville, Perry Township, Dane County, and surrounding communities.  

Thanks to the support of Pastor Jonathon Kosec and approval from the Church Council, the vision of a full-service historical center became a reality in 1986 with the designation of the church’s former library as a dedicated room for PHC to be used for display and research purposes.

 The center has a nice collection of family histories that have been donated by individuals with ties to Perry or Daleyville. Other resources include church membership records (Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings, Funerals), a cemetery directory, scrapbooks, and photos of the church and its various groups.  You will also find obituaries, news clippings, plat maps, information on nearby churches including the Old Hauge Log Church which is located a short distance away, and many other books on local communities.  Our collection of Confirmation photos dates back to 1893.

PHC receives several visitors each year, many of whom come for genealogical research.   Others who live outside the area contact the center by phone or email to make research requests.  The dedicated volunteers are always happy to respond to inquiries.

Although located within the church, PHC is a separate and self-supporting not-for-profit group with its own funding.  The publication of its 1994 book, “The Historic Perry Norwegian Settlement” was a very successful endeavor generating a nice profit with over 3,000 copies sold.    As a result, PHC was able to purchase its own furnishings, and give generously to projects at the Perry Lutheran Church, such as the elevator project and the restroom remodeling project making them handicapped accessible. The center has also received donations and memorials from generous supporters.

Our board of volunteers has oversight for the Historical Center.  They are passionate about genealogy and local history, preserving the artifacts of Perry Lutheran Church, and sharing our resources with others.   There have been many dedicated board members since the center’s inception.  The late Kristin Brue served as Director from the center’s inception through 2017.  Pauline Hittesdorf stepped into that role in 2018.  Monthly articles are included in the church’s newsletter, “The Perry Progress,” as a way to promote the historical center and to share Perry’s history with the congregation. 

Special projects of the historical center have included:

•  “The Historic Perry Norwegian Settlement” book published in 1994
•  A Driving Tour Pamphlet to sites in the book noted above
•  A Tribute to Veterans memorial on the church grounds
•  “Come Explore Historic Perry” - a video featuring photos from the Perry archives produced in 2004 in celebration of Perry’s 150th Anniversary
•  A Digital Reproduction of the 1915 book, “Sixty Years of Perry” in 2004, available in hard copy or on CD
•  “Remembering the Past - 165 Years of Ministry” - an updated history on Perry Lutheran Church published in 2019 in celebration of Perry’s 165th Anniversary
•  “Celebrating the Present” - 2019 Pictorial Directory of the congregation

The Historical Center welcomes donations of items related to the church or local area.  

We are pleased to have copies of “The Historic Perry Norwegian Settlement” and “Remembering the Past – 165 Years of Ministry” available for sale.  Please contact the church office at (608) 437-5294 or perry@mhtc.net if you are interested in purchasing copies.  The first book sells for $30 and the second book sells for $20.  Both books can be purchased as a package for $40.

Any genealogy or information requests can be directed to Pauline Hittesdorf at paulineron@tds.net or (608) 523-1994.