Townspeople’s efforts add another spire to the ‘Village of Spires’

Spires dot Oldenburg’s skyline, a historic village nestled in the hills of southeastern Indiana that was founded by German immigrants in 1837. The onion dome spire, second from left, was recently installed. It was modeled after a similar structure that sat atop Holy Family Parish’s old stone church from 1846 until 1949. (Photo by Sean Gallagher)

By Sean Gallagher

OLDENBURG—Oldenburg is a town nestled among the hills that dot the landscape of southeastern Indiana.

As you drive into town from the south along State Road 229, you first see it as you drive down one of those hills.

What stands out in the view are the four spires that dot its skyline, known by many in the area as the “Village of Spires.”

Two spires are on buildings on the campus of the motherhouse of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. The other two are on the current and former church of Holy Family Parish in the center of the town.

One parish spire was installed recently as a way for the villagers to pay tribute to the history of Oldenburg, which was founded by German immigrants in 1837.

The parish’s “onion dome” was a spire shaped like an onion, which sat atop a stone church that served as the parish church from its construction in 1846 until the parish’s current brick church was built in 1862 to accommodate the town’s growing Catholic population.

The spire on the stone church was modeled after similar architectural features of Baroque churches in central Europe.

It was removed from the stone church in 1949 after it had fallen into disrepair.

A 25-year effort to restore it finally came to fruition on Feb. 3 when a new steeple, modeled after the original, was installed on the stone church that now serves as the offices of Holy Family Parish.

“I’m just thrilled to see it up,” said Franciscan Father David Kobak, Holy Family’s pastor. “It’s a thrill to see that steeple every time that I pull in the driveway or come down [State Road] 229. It rises above the trees, and really is a beautiful addition to the Village of Spires.”

The drive to restore the onion dome was the work of the townspeople alone. The nearly $120,000 project was paid for through donations from Oldenburg residents and others interested in its history.

But more than money was needed to bring back the onion dome. A lot of fortitude and love for Oldenburg was also required.

That was what fueled the efforts of people like Gary Munchel, Jeff Paul, Paul Selkirk and William Selm to add one more spire to the town.

“Those Germans [settlers] had a lot of pride and hard work and dedication,” said Paul, a member of Holy Family Parish. “They did all of this locally.

“For us, [restoring the onion dome] was a tribute to them. This was so important to them. It reminded them of their homeland. If it wouldn’t have been for the founding fathers here, we wouldn’t have what we have here.”

Paul, who owns a grocery store in Oldenburg, is from a family that immigrated to the town during the 1850s.

By comparison, Selkirk is a relative newcomer to Oldenburg, having moved there “only” in 1970. Yet over the past 40 years, he has come to love the town greatly.

“It’s a small community,” said Selkirk, a Holy Family parishioner. “We know everybody. … We’re just blessed with what we’ve got. It’s such a unique place.”

Although now living in Indianapolis, Selm was raised in Franklin County. His mother grew up in Oldenburg. And he has lovingly studied its history for much of his adult life.

He was in the town on Feb. 3 to see the new onion dome installed.

“It was a dream come true,” Selm said. “How many times is it that something has been gone that long—61 years—and then comes back?”

Selkirk said the efforts to restore the onion dome and the work done in organizing the town’s annual Freudenfest are indicative of the love for Oldenburg seen in a growing number of its young adults.

Selm thinks that the town’s future, like the new onion dome, is on good footing.

“It’s a solid base,” he said. “That’s pretty obvious. These things that they’re doing are imparting to the children of the [town] that they’ve got something there. It’s different.”

Father David agrees.

“I think that onion dome will be up there 300 years from now,” he said. “I have all the faith in the world that that will happen.

“It’s a beautiful, quaint village. Oldenburg is 110 percent pure Americana.”

(The onion dome at Holy Family Parish in Oldenburg will be dedicated following the conclusion of the 10 a.m. Mass on May 23. The public is welcome to attend. For more information, call the parish at 812-934-3013.) †