The historic Marnach House, accessible only by a 1.5-mile hike through the woods outside of Elba, MN. It holds statewide significance as the only surviving example of traditional Luxembourg masonry construction in Minnesota. New Ulm’s Luxembourg Heritage Society is being asked to help support repair funds. Submitted photo

NEW ULM — The Luxembourg Heritage Society of Southern Minnesota, based in New Ulm, gathered to promote to support fundraising efforts to the Nicholas Marnach House near Elba, Mn.

Though the Nicholas Marnach House stands in southeast Minnesota’s historic Luxembourg settlement in Winona County, it holds statewide significance as the only surviving example of traditional Luxembourg masonry construction.

Kristin Speltz, Minnesota’s Honorary Consul for Luxembourg addressed the New Ulm group on Saturday.

“The Marnach House requires ongoing care,” Speltz said. “The extended local community, including Rollingstone and Elba, has shouldered that responsibility for decades. They need help.”

The 1857-1860 stone house, built by Luxembourg immigrants John and Mary Marnach and their son Nicholas in the classic Quereinhaus style, sits within the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area near Whitewater State Park. It’s 2- to 3-foot-thick walls offered a sturdy pioneer home for farming families who brought European building techniques to Minnesota’s frontier.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the house underwent major restoration in the early 1990s with support from Luxembourg government contributions, local volunteers, and masons from the Grand Duchy. 

They replaced the roof, rebuilt walls, installed new flooring, and added plaster, culminating in a 1993 dedication featuring former Luxembourg Prime Minister Pierre Werner.

Owned today by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and leased to volunteers from the Luxembourg Heritage Society of Elba, the structure relies on a small volunteer budget for maintenance, insurance, and pest control. 

Speltz, mentored by her predecessor Kevin Ries (a Sleepy Eye native devoted to the house until his 2022 passing), highlighted the May 9, 2026, Heritage Celebration at Assisi Heights in Rochester as a key way to provide that support. 

Proceeds will go directly to Marnach House preservation.

The event ties into Luxembourg heritage connections in the Rochester area, including the legacy of Mother Alfred Moes, a Luxembourg-born Franciscan nun whose post-1883 tornado efforts helped found St. Mary’s Hospital–the cornerstone of the Mayo Clinic. 

The day starts at 9 a.m. with an optional Calvary Cemetery tour (featuring graves of Luxembourg-descended sisters), followed by coffee, luncheon, presentations, a live video link with Luxembourg, a campus tour, concluding Mass, and sandwiches served by the Sisters.

“It’s about Mother Alfred Moes and the incredible contributions of the Franciscan Sisters,” Speltz said. “You’ll spend time with the Sisters, see amazing architecture, enjoy a fantastic meal, and celebrate Mass.”

Tickets are $75 for regular seating or $150 for premium seats with the Luxembourg ambassador (priority to established heritage groups from areas like Rollingstone, Winona, New Ulm, Elba, and La Crosse.)

For southern Minnesota Luxembourgers–many whose ancestors settled in Brown County and nearby areas after the 1860s, often blending into German communities–the Marnach House stands as a powerful, tangible symbol. 

“It’s an incredible symbol of Luxembourgish culture and history,” Speltz said. “And it’s a house; people lived in it, people farmed the land. You can see how our ancestors lived when they first got here. And not a lot of groups can claim that.”

To learn more about the Luxembourg Heritage Society of Southern Minnesota or purchase tickets, visit https://luxemheritagesociety.yolasite.com/.