First Presbyterian Church (Macon, Georgia)

Last updated
First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church.jpg
First Presbyterian Church
USA Georgia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location690 Mulberry St., Macon, Georgia
Coordinates 32°50′17″N83°37′47″W / 32.83806°N 83.62972°W / 32.83806; -83.62972
Arealess than one acre
Built1858
Architectural styleRomanesque
NRHP reference No. 72000364 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 14, 1972
First Presbyterian Church, circa 1876. First Presbyterian Church, Mulberry Street, 1876 - DPLA - 536407cc500b886e1768a8d1e31a1739.jpeg
First Presbyterian Church, circa 1876.

First Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church in Macon, GA.

Contents

History

The place was frequently visited by Mr. Joseph C. Stiles, a licentiate and Evangelist of Hopewell Presbytery, who took it in as a part of his field. As the fruit of his ministry a church was organized June 18, 1826, of twenty five members, by Rev. Benjamin Gildersleeve, First Presbyterian Church was born on June 18, 1826, just three years after the city of Macon was chartered. The church continued to be a part of the Evangelistic field of Mr. Stiles, till 1828, when Rev. James C. Patterson became the regular supply for two years till the Fall of 1830. During Mr. Patterson's ministry the first building, a wooden structure, was erected on Fourth street. This building was turned over to the Baptists, who removed and enlarged it; and is now the Second Baptist church. The Rev. Edwin Holt was the first regular pastor, installed November 20, 1831, and served the church from 1831 to 1834, when the relation was dissolved by the Presbytery of Good Hope and he dismissed to the Presbytery of Newburyport July 27, 1836. He was followed by Rev. James Stratton, as supply, for two years. He was never settled. His name was stricken from the roll March 29, 1843, he "having joined another church." He was succeeded by Rev. Samuel J. Cassels, who was installed November 5, 1836 and continued till April 13, 1842. It was during the ministry of Rev. Mr. Cassels, that the second house, a brick building commenced during the ministry of Mr. Stratton, was completed. [2]

Since 1858, when the present structure was completed, its spire, soaring 183 feet above the street, has dominated the downtown section of Mulberry Street. It is the 6th tallest building in Macon, at 185 feet(56 m). It was the tallest building in Macon from its completion in 1858 until the completion of the St. Joseph's Catholic Church. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is located on 690 Mulberry Street, in Downtown Macon. The famous poet Sidney Lanier was a member here.

Today, the congregation has more than 1000 members. [3]

School

In 1970, the church founded First Presbyterian Day School. The church founded the school the same year that a judge ordered Bibb County public schools to desegregate. The campus was located in a mostly white suburban area, some distance away from the church's headquarters in a black neighborhood downtown. These factors have led the historian Andrew Manis to conclude that the school was a segregation academy established to allow white parents to avoid sending their children to racially integrated public schools. [4]

The First Presbyterian Church, as seen in this picture of Macon from the early 1900s towards the left of the photo, was currently the tallest building in Macon. Macon, Georgia early 1900s.jpg
The First Presbyterian Church, as seen in this picture of Macon from the early 1900s towards the left of the photo, was currently the tallest building in Macon.

First Presbyterian Church is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macon, Georgia</span> Consolidated city-county in Georgia, United States

Macon, officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia, United States. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is 85 miles (137 km) southeast of Atlanta and near the state's geographic center—hence its nickname "The Heart of Georgia".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church in America</span> Conservative Reformed Christian denomination in the United States and Canada

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and presbyterian in government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland Presbyterian Church</span> Presbyterian denomination

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination spawned by the Second Great Awakening. In 2019, it had 65,087 members and 673 congregations, of which 51 were located outside of the United States. The word Cumberland comes from the Cumberland River valley where the church was founded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster Hall and Burying Ground</span> Historic site in Baltimore, Maryland, US

Westminster Hall and Burying Ground is a graveyard and former church located at 519 West Fayette Street in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is currently part of the grounds of the University of Maryland's School of Law. It occupies the southeast corner of West Fayette and North Greene Street on the west side of downtown Baltimore. It sits across from the Baltimore VA hospital and is the burial site of Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849). The complex was declared a national historic district in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church in Canada</span> Protestant Christian denomination in Canada

The Presbyterian Church in Canada is a Presbyterian denomination, serving in Canada under this name since 1875. The United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939. According to the Canada 2021 Census 301,400 Canadians identify themselves as Presbyterian, that is, 0.8 percent of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul</span> Presbyterian church in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Church of Saint Andrew and St Paul is a Presbyterian church in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 3415 Redpath Street, on the corner of Sherbrooke Street. It is in close proximity to the Golden Square Mile, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Concordia University as well as the Guy-Concordia Metro station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Windsor, Ontario)</span> Church in Ontario, Canada

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, is a Presbyterian Church in Canada congregation in downtown Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The congregation dates back to 1857, and at one time, was the largest congregation by membership within the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC).

Warrenton Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation located at 133 Watts Road near Abbeville in Abbeville County, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church of East Africa</span> Religious organization in East Africa

Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) is a Presbyterian denomination headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. In Kenya, 10% of the population is Presbyterian. It was started by missionaries from Scotland, most notable of whom was Dr John Arthur. It has its headquarters in Nairobi South C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbeygreen Church</span> Church in Scotland

Abbeygreen Church is a congregation of the Free Church of Scotland in the small town of Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire. As a Christian congregation, it is presbyterian and reformed; holding the Word of God, the Holy Bible, as the supreme rule of life and doctrine and the Westminster Confession of Faith as a sub-ordinate standard, which helps explain the doctrines of the Christian faith. Being Presbyterian, it serves as part of the Free Church of Scotland Presbytery of Glasgow and seeks to faithfully serve God in Lesmahagow and the surrounding area. Having a missional outlook it is involved with a number of missionary organizations including, but not only, UFM Worldwide and Rose of Sharon Ministries, and helps with the organization and support of the Scottish Reformed Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Macon, Georgia</span> Central business district of Macon, Georgia, United States

Downtown Macon refers to the largest financial district in the city of Macon, Georgia, United States. It is home to many museums, ranging from the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame to the Tubman African American Museum. Numerous Antebellum homes are located in Downtown Macon, including the Woodruff House, the Hay House, and the Cannonball House. One of the most notable churches in downtown Macon is Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, the oldest Methodist Church in the state of Georgia. Terminal Station, was built in 1916.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Miller (theologian)</span>

Samuel Miller was a Presbyterian theologian who taught at Princeton Theological Seminary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Street Presbyterian Church (Detroit)</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Fort Street Presbyterian Church is located at 631 West Fort Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was constructed in 1855, and completely rebuilt in 1877. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971. Its steeple stands 265 ft (81 m), making it one of the tallest churches in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Presbyterian Church (Manhattan)</span> Church in Manhattan, New York

The congregation of North Presbyterian Church, at 525 West 155th Street in Manhattan, New York City, is a combination of three former congregations: North Presbyterian Church, Washington Heights Presbyterian Church, and St. Nicholas Avenue Presbyterian Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Joseph's Catholic Church (Macon, Georgia)</span> Historic church in Georgia, United States

Saint Joseph Catholic Church , located at 812 Poplar Street in Macon, Georgia, was listed on the NRHP on July 14, 1971. The church is located in the middle of Downtown Macon and takes up one block. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Presbyterian Church</span> Historic church in Georgia, United States

Washington Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church at 206 E. Robert Toombs Avenue in Washington, Georgia. The church was founded in 1790, with the building constructed in 1825. It was added to the National Register in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Presbyterian Church (Schenectady, New York)</span> Church in New York, United States

First Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, New York is a historic Presbyterian Church in America congregation.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian Church in America congregation in Edwards, Mississippi. The church was founded in 1826, and it is among the 50 oldest churches in the PCA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrew's Kirk, Launceston</span> Church in Tasmania, Australia

St Andrew's Kirk, Launceston, is a Presbyterian church located on St John Street in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, serving the Presbytery of Bass. It was the second Presbyterian church to be built in the city of Launceston following the Scotch National Church on Charles Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbytery of Boston</span> Religious association

The Presbytery of Boston is the regional governing body for congregations located in the Greater Boston area affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Established in 1745 and with an office in Clinton, Massachusetts, the Presbytery of Boston currently includes 20 member churches located in Worcester, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties, and parts of Essex County. The Presbytery of Boston is one of 19 presbyteries that comprise the Synod of the Northeast, which oversees churches in New Jersey, New York, and the New England states.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Stacy, James (1912). A history of the Presbyterian church in Georgia. Elberton, Georgia: Press of the Star. PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. www.fpcmacon.org/new-here/who-we-are/
  4. Manis, Andrew Michael (2004). Macon Black and White: An Unutterable Separation in the American Century. Mercer University Press. p. 312. ISBN   9780865549586.
  5. "Church Directory". Presbyterian Church in America. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.