When the afternoon light hits just right, Canton Lutheran Church’s sanctuary glows with multicolored stained glass, a display that congregation members say reflects the community’s history as much as its faith. But the look depends on preservation, and the church is now moving closer to completing an effort to restore the century-old windows after it received additional state and local funding.
The South Dakota State Historical Society and the city of Deadwood awarded Canton Lutheran Church a total of $22,500 from gaming proceeds for the church’s “Restoring Radiance” project, which is aimed at completely restoring the stained-glass windows, according to the church’s reporting and statements included in the story. The church said the new funding will wrap up its stained-glass campaign, which had a target of more than $500,000.
The church’s restoration push began years earlier as conversations about restoring the windows took hold within the congregation. Melinda Larson, a congregation member who has worked on the project, said the campaign’s momentum benefited from community participation, and she described the grant application emphasis on community involvement and service. Larson said “Canton Lutheran is very community involved,” and she added that churches work together to meet community needs.
Canton Lutheran Church also received a separate, large award before the state and local gaming-proceeds grant. The National Trust for Sacred Places gave the church more than $185,000 for its restoration project through a collaborative program involving the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Partners for Sacred Places. The church said the award is the first South Dakotan organization to receive an award from the program and that the project requires a dollar-for-dollar match from other community fundraising.
In the meantime, parts of the restoration work have already started. Larson said the congregation removed and transferred a large, south-facing window to Windom, Minnesota, for restoration by Willet Stained Glass Studios. She said the congregation hopes to have the stained glass restoration completed in its entirety by the summer of 2027.
Preservation officials said the awards highlight how churches can matter historically beyond their architecture. Garry Guan, South Dakota’s historic preservation officer, said historic churches are evaluated using criteria such as age, architectural integrity and historical associations, but that they often carry additional layers of meaning. In a statement, he said that in many rural communities churches also served as places for schools, meetings and social gatherings, and that because of their central role, churches are often among the most intact historic structures encountered.
The “Restoring Radiance” award arrived amid a broader grant cycle for rural churches. The church’s recent South Dakota State Historical Society award was one of three given to rural churches during the grant cycle, with Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perkins County receiving $5,000 for steeple repair and Saint Wenceslaus Church in Tabor receiving $10,000 for porch repair—each church described as more than a century old.
Canton Lutheran Church was established in 1868 and built its current sanctuary space in 1908, according to the account. The Gothic Revival building is constructed mostly with Sioux Quartzite rock, and its setting is described as part of Canton’s historic core. The church’s pastor, Jon Splichal-Larson, said the community embraced the church’s history, including beyond the congregation, and that pursuing the project reflected encouragement the community would “step up.”
Splichal-Larson tied the project to continuity, describing the congregation’s effort as a faithful response to its heritage. He said the work reflects the “next faithful step” and that restoration is meant to honor “the heritage and the people that have come before us,” and he also pointed to the congregation’s early builders, describing the original woodwork as being done by congregation members in the beginning of the 20th century.
As Canton Lutheran proceeds with restoration, the church also sees its stained glass campaign as part of a broader approach to remaining active in a changing religious landscape. The church’s account says it does not emphasize a single, formal aisle through the sanctuary when it comes to the building’s original layout, and that today congregation members gather every Wednesday for a meal before splitting into groups for age-related programming. Splichal-Larson said the Wednesday meal supports the church’s effort to meet people where they’re at, including families with busy schedules.
He also described how he views attendance differently than in previous years, saying he considers “regular” attendance to be bimonthly rather than weekly. Julie Verley, a past president of the congregation, said Splichal-Larson’s approach to youth ministry increased engagement among younger members and helped older members feel hope for the future of the church.
At a time when many rural churches have faced declines in religious affiliation and closures, Canton Lutheran’s congregation remains active, according to the report. The church’s 2025 annual report cited 886 baptized members. And Splichal-Larson and Larson described stained glass restoration as a reminder of what draws people in—beauty, community connection, and the stories depicted in the windows—while the congregation continues adjusting its practices to keep that connection broad and durable.