Between Cresco and the Minnesota border town of Granger are the few buildings constituting the crossroads community of Florenceville. On the northern outskirts of Florenceville, just below the Minnesota border, one comes across the Granger Methodist Church of c. 1866. The walkway leading to the front entrance of the church proceeds through a narrow row of trees; beyond the church one is strongly aware of the open prairie. This church comes close to summing up the ideal of a mid-century Greek Revival building. Below the enclosed gable is a wide entrance doorway with transom light and an entablature above; to the side are two double-hung windows. Above the front gable is a low, tiered square tower with four segmental arched vent openings. The only non-Greek elements in the design are the segmental arched windows, which reflect the Italianate mode. The church can be reached by traveling 8 miles north of Cresco on route V58; or it can be approached by traveling to Granger, Minnesota, and then proceeding south on route 15, then east on route 30.
Florenceville
Last accessed: September 16, 2026.
Print Source
Buildings of Iowa, David Gebhard and Gerald Mansheim, New York: Oxford University Press, 1993, 385-385.