Dominie Henry P. Scholte House is an historic residence located in Pella , Iowa , United States . Dominie Scholte was the leader of a secessionist movement from the organized church in the Netherlands in the 1830s . He became the spiritual , practical and formal leader of the Dutch Emigration Society , which prepared and executed the immigration of several hundred Dutch people to Pella in 1847 . He is credited with founding the town itself , and was heavily involved in the town 's early economic development . Initially a Democrat , he switched to the new Republican party and gave a speech on behalf of Abraham Lincoln at the 1860 Republican National Convention . Switching political parties and his involvement in church schism issues diminished his influence . He died in 1868 . R.R. Beard , who married his widow , carried on Scholte 's economic leadership in the community
1860 Republican National Convention
1860 Republican National Convention
Dominie Henry P. Scholte House