Description

The church/school was built in 1861 and is located two kilometres from the present village of Springton. In the 19th century the main road used to go past the building, unlike now. Before the Friedensberg ('Hill of Peace') congregation was formed, the locals had to travel 20 km by bullock cart or German wagon to worship at Blumberg (now Birdwood). The land for the church and school was donated by the wealthy businessman George Fife Angas (he also donated £50 towards the construction costs). The land also included space for the cemetery which is located a few metres down the hill from the church. During the week the building functioned as a school room, and on Sundays the furniture was re-arranged for church services. Until 1876 all lessons were held in German, but in that year a two-hour daily session of teaching English was started by teacher F.W. Baumann's daughter Anna. All sixteen children of Friedrich and Caroline Herbig attended the Friedensberg school, as did 25 of the 51 grandchildren. When the St. Johannis church was erected in the town area in 1889, the building continued to be used just as a school until 1913, when a new school, also named 'Friedensberg', was built close to the St. Johannis church. In the 1990s the original Friedensberg school/church was restored with financial assistance from the State Heritage Branch and the State History Trust.