Driving down Beaupre Street in Pembina, North Dakota, you are guaranteed to notice an unusual, but striking feature of the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Church. The onion dome sits atop the entry tower and supports the wrought-iron three-bar cross reaching to the sky. The history of this church, otherwise known as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. John, is over a century old, long before the onion dome was added.

Situated on property just south of the confluence of the Red and Pembina Rivers, the church was erected in 1885 by Sigurur Myrdal and Olafur Thorsteineson. It is the second oldest Icelandic church in North America, with the oldest being Vikur Church in nearby Cavalier, which you can also learn about on this Talking Trail.

Like Vikur, the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized at a time when the Icelandic population was growing, many of whom were homesteading here by way of Canada. As the years went on, growth would cease and the number of Icelandic families in Pembina dwindled. In 1937, the church was sold to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. John and underwent a bit of a transformation, becoming a space suitable for their services. Two decades later, the church was again remodeled and its special onion dome, or lukovitsa, was added. The church served the Icelandic population of Pembina for 52 years and the Ukrainian community for the following 50 years. In 1987, with only five members remaining, the building was placed in the care of the Fort Pembina Historical Society and has been preserved and maintained since.

Representing two distinct ethnic church groups, the building stands as a solitary historic remnant of times long past. Along with its religious and cultural history, the property is significant for its architecture and construction and has been listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.