 By 1874 the small Mennonite community, in cooperation with the equally small Lutheran group, had built a church and a school.Apparently the Mennonites and Lutherans had joint services in the church, but for major festivals the Mennonites tended to go to their home churches, for many this being Schoenwiese in the Chortitza Colony.They also went back to their home churches to allow the young people to meet prospective marriage partners.