Manitoba Municipal Heritage Site No. 7

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Manse
Queen Elizabeth Road,
Erickson

The Bethlehem Lutheran Church Manse, with its hand-hewn squared logs fixed by dovetail joints, is the only remaining local example of a construction method widely used by Scandinavian immigrants in the Erickson area, where a major Swedish colony was established in 1885. The sturdy unpretentious dwelling is patterned on early Ontario houses, as revealed by its L-shaped plan and steep front gable dormer, and suggests adaptation of old-country traditions to a new situation. Designed and built by Bethlehem Lutheran Church volunteers in the village of Scandinavia using local materials and methods, the manse is a rare and enduring link to the first settlers in the Erickson area.

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