MUSCATINE, Iowa — Before Tuesday evening, it had been a year shy of a century since a meeting had been held at the Old Stone Church near Wild Cat Den State Park.

That streak was broken as members of the non-profit group that has been working to restore the 142-year-old landmark gathered there to discuss future plans for the structure.

“This is the first time in 99 years that a meeting has been held here,” said Ken Hyman, a member of the Friends of the Old Stone Church. “It sends shivers down my spine.”

The eight members who came for the meeting brought their own lawn chairs; the church is still in need of pews.

A stack of new windows, still in their packages, leaned against a wall.

But that didn’t overshadow the progress the group has seen since The Friends of the Old Stone Church was founded in 2006 under the auspices of the Muscatine Area Heritage Association.

The outside of the church has been carefully restored, said Friends of the Old Stone Church member Dave Metz.

The group was able to buy a special mortar from the Muscatine Acme Materials

The correct type of mortar is vital, said Metz.

Metz and Hyman said the mortar was carefully blended into the crevices of the stone exterior tablespoon by tablespoons in 2008.

This summer an electrical system was installed and the floor was fixed.

Now the members want to share their work with the  community.

The doors to the church will be open for guests beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The Friends regular  meeting — regular meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month — will follow at 7 p.m.

“Anyone who wants to become involved is welcome to stay,” said Hyman.

Steve Schoenig of Fort Collins, Colo., president of the group, will travel to the area in early October to see the progress being made at the church.

Schoenig and his wife, Miriam, began learning more about the church in 1999 after Steve discovered a photo of it among his family’s heirlooms.

Steve researched the church and learned it was named the Pine Mills German Methodist Episcopal Church when it was built in 1867 by a group of volunteers that included his great-grandfather, Heinrich Schoenig.

The Schoenigs came to Muscatine County in 2000 to learn more about the church and the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry where officials put them in touch with area historian Gladys Mittman.

The Schoenigs then learned that Mittman’s brother, Paul Kemper, owned the church and the land it was on.

According to church history, Kemper and Mittman are the great-grandchildren of the stone mason who oversaw the construction of the church.

Kemper, who has always hoped to see the church restored, donated the building and the land it sits on to the Muscatine Area Heritage Association, a non-profit corporation that was established in 1971.

In 2003, Schoenig  successfully to have the church placed on the National Register of Historic Places

Mittman learned that the last service at the church may have been conducted on Christmas Eve of 1910 and the Friends hope to hold a commemorative Christmas Eve service in 2010.

The work being done at the church is fueled by public donations from entities such as the American Schleswig Holstein Heritage Society and the Muscatine Community Foundation.

Private donations have included money and materials, such as gravel for the new parking lot which was donated by Kurt Van Nice of Blue Grass.

Metz said the group will need more donations to complete work on the walls and ceiling.

What: An open house at the Old Stone Church near Wild Cat Den State Park.

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Where: The Old Stone Church site, approximately 1 mile north of Wild Cat Den State Park which is located between Muscatine and Montpelier on Iowa Highway 22.

Details: Area residents are invited to visit this historic site and the progress being made in its renovation. The regular monthly meeting of the Friends of the Old Stone Church takes place at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome to stay.

Contact: To learn more about the Old Stone Church or to provide a donation, contact Dave Metz at 263-4222.

How to help: The Friends of the Old Stone Church is in need of donations to complete its work on the floors, walls and ceiling.

They are also looking for pews that would be appropriate for the atmosphere of the late 19th-century church. Contact Metz to learn more about making a donation.

To learn more: The Old Stone Church members will host a booth at the annual Pine Creek Grist Mill Heritage Day 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Wild Cat Den State Park. For more information call Tom Hanifan, president of the Friends of the Pine Creek Grist Mill at 563-263-4818.