Carver Church dates back to the early 1890s. A prominent congregation was established in the church by the turn of the 1900s, which lasted until the 1960s. Following the departure of its congregation, the church was given to the City of Carver, who used it for a variety of other purposes. The church underwent a renovation in 2006, and still stands to this day at 109 Main Street in Carver.
The Carver Church (presently the Church by the River) was initially a nondenominational Sunday school that began in 1893. An official church congregation was organized in 1899. On September 1, 1900 a congregation was incorporated in accordance to the Laws of Minnesota, by members and friends of the Presbyterian Church of Carver. When the congregation was incorporated, the church members also elected church officers, at a meeting chaired by theological student and acting pastor of the church, Benjamin R. Weld. These first elected officers consisted of Trustees Andrew Sthol (3-year term), Noah Hammarlund (2-year term), and Dr. Everett Hartley (1-year term). John S. Danens and Charles A. Franzen were elected as church elders.
One month after incorporation, on October 2, 1900, formal incorporation papers for the church were filed with the Carver County Registrar’s Office. In 1913, the congregation decided to build a permanent church. $3600 was raised for the construction, and paid to Carver building contractor Olaf Hanson, whose own home still stands at 308 Third Street West. On Armistice Day, 1918, the church passionately celebrated the end of World War I. In the celebration, the church bell was rung so hard that it cracked.
After 1959, church membership declined, and the building incurred damage in the great flood of 1965. The church’s last service was held on September 26, 1967. Afterwards, many members of the congregation continued Presbyterian Church attendance in Chaska. In 1971, the old church building was acquired by the nonprofit organization Carver-On-The-Minnesota, Inc. who used it as a museum for several years, with plans to turn it into an inn. The building was eventually gifted to the City of Carver, and is still owned by the city to this day. Under the city’s ownership, the building hosts city council and commission meetings, civic activities, and can be rented for special events such as weddings, parties, and funerals. By 2006, thanks to the work, funds and efforts of the Carver Lions Club, the Minnesota Historical Society, and many other volunteers, the church was restored. The Carver Lion’s Club received a 2006 Community Effort Award from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota for their efforts. The award is displayed inside the church, alongside many vintage photos and relics from Carver’s history.
The church building shows a conventional design in the Gothic style, with a touch of Queen Anne Revival. The building has a square plan, with a square corner bell tower as its principle entry. Additional features include panels and moldings on the bell tower, shingled gables, Gothic windows, and a border of colored leaded glass squares around a central motif of leaded glass windows.
