Gehlenbeck's history begins at the "gehlen Bike", the mill stream. The first farmers settled there in ancient times. Towards the end of the 15th century, the magnificent Gothic church of St. Nicholas, now the center of the community, was built nearby. The cigar industry gave the village a major boost from 1860 onwards. Up to nine factories provided bread and work for the families of small farmers and haymakers alongside agriculture. The cigar workers' memorial on the B 65 is a reminder of this. The culture and customs of the time are documented in the "Gehrmker Hius" (on the B 65), a restored 200-year-old half-timbered house. There are several other half-timbered houses worth seeing in the village, most of which are over 200 years old. Another gem is the granary belonging to a former Grevenhof farm. This was built from quarry stones around the 15th century and is the second oldest building in Gehlenbeck after the church tower.
The Renkhausen estate to the north of Gehlenbeck, a worthwhile excursion destination near the moor and canal, was first mentioned in 1278. It was long owned by the von Haddewig ministerial family, who also owned a manor in Lübbecke. The estate includes a neo-Renaissance manor house, recently restored, with an old park, a manor house and other buildings, all of which are listed
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