By Mary Mergenthal

St. Anthony Park resident Kristin Anderson will present the first in a new season of her architectural history talks at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, 2323 Como Ave.

The church plans to host Anderson’s monthly presentations on the second Tuesday of each month through May.

Early in the summer, Luther Seminary announced plans to sell its campus, concluding over 120 years of operation in St. Anthony Park. Even with its long tenure, Luther was not the first seminary in the neighborhood.

That honor belongs to the Stryker Seminary, established here in the late 19th century. The most recent addition to the roster was Northwestern Seminary, which landed here in the mid-1960s and was later merged with Luther Seminary.

There is a lot to see! We’ll look at their buildings and campuses, both in St. Anthony Park and elsewhere, because (of course) there’s a complicated and wide-ranging history here.

Anyone unable to attend in person can view the presentation live online, with a recording available for one week following Sept. 9. Use the SAPLC YouTube channel at bit.ly/Sap-history.

You can also get to the church’s YouTube channel by clicking through from saplc.org to the worship tab, and then to the livestream link for services and other events.

All are welcome to attend — whether in person or online. Presentations remain free of charge, but organizers will be trying a tip jar to help support ongoing program expenses. 

Mary Mergenthal lives in St. Anthony Park and is a former Bugle editor.

Photo cutline: Stryker Seminary, on Doswell Avenue, west of Como Avenue. Illustration from the St. Paul city directory, 1889.