Audio Photographer Doug Ohman talks with MPR's Cathy Wurzer Photos Mount Olivet, Plymouth Abandoned church St. Thomas the Apostle, Jessenland View full slideshow (8 images) More from MPR "Barns of Minnesota" pays tribute to vanishing rural icons (06/10/2005) Calendar chronicles Lutheran traditions (12/29/1999) Barn Again aims to preserve old barns (09/14/2000) Resources Pioneer Photography Tools E-mail this page Print this page Sponsor

Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Plymouth, 1880, Gothic Revival style. (Photo by Doug Ohman)

From one-room chapels to grand cathedrals, churches all over the state are part of Minnesota's landscape. Now nearly 100 of those churches are showcased in a new book, "Churches of Minnesota."

St. Paul, Minn. — "Churches of Minnesota" features images from a wide variety of denominations and many different architectural styles. Well-known author Jon Hassler wrote the text for the book, and photographer Doug Ohman took the pictures.

Ohman travelled the state in all four seasons and photographed churches in many corners of the state. He took pictures in small towns and in the middle of urban streets. While driving the backroads, he saw many abandoned churches.

According to Ohman, many churches were built at a time when they had to be close together, so that people could reach them on foot or by horse and buggy. Some of those churches are no longer necessary.

"It's a sad part of the change on the rural landscape," Ohman says.

Ohman took pictures of all sorts of churches, including a Polish church in Winona and a Ukrainian church in Arden Hills. He says the churches reflect a wide variety of ethnicities and immigrants in the state.

Ohman's favorite image is his picture of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Jessenland, Minnesota. According to Ohman, it's the oldest Irish church in the state. He shot the picture from the back, with the church cemetery in the foreground, giving it a unique perspective.

"Normally you think of the church on the hill," Ohman says. "But this is in reverse."

Ohman choose to feature churches because he considers them an important part of the state's history.

"If you think of those early immigrants who came to Minnesota, one of the first buildings they built was the church, because it was the gathering place," he says.

Some of the churches in Ohman's book have disappeared since he photographed them, something he says demonstates the need for preservation.

As Ohman travelled the state, he found that many people were excited that their church, no matter how small, might end up in his book. Those people made a point of welcoming Ohman into their communities.

"I've had many cups of coffee, I've had many chocolate chip cookies, and I've made some wonderful friends," he says.

This book is the second is a series called "Minnesota Byways." In the first book, "Barns of Minnesota," Ohman presented a wide variety of the state's barns, both modern and historic.

Ohman says the series is important because each book documents a part of Minnesota's heritage. Upcoming books will feature Minnesota courthouses, schoolhouses, and cabins.