Luther Memorial Church, Madison

Luther Memorial Church is a Neo-Gothic landmark on Madison's University campus. Completed in 1923 and designed by the local architectural firm of Claude & Starck, the church is built of limestone and features soaring buttresses, pointed arch windows, and a commanding facade that evokes the grandeur of European cathedrals.

The congregation traces its origins to 1907, when a group of Evangelical Lutheran students started worshipping in English-the first such gathering in Madison. After beginning services in rented space and an early chapel, they commissioned the current structure in the early 1920s to better serve a growing, intergenerational.

Step inside the sanctuary and you’ll find a traditional cruciform plan beneath a 40-foot-high vaulted ceiling. A stone baptismal font marks the entrance, and the domed apse frames a two-story altar with a sculpted Jesus figure. Flanking the chancel are impressive organ pipes-one from a 56-rank Austin pipe organ and a Steere tracker organ.

Recognized for both architectural and community significance, Luther Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 and is frequently noted by local visitors for its beauty and ornate design.