First Presbyterian Church (Augusta, Georgia)

Last updated
First Presbyterian Church of Augusta
First Presbyterian Church (Augusta, Georgia) May 2017.jpg
First Presbyterian Church in 2017
USA Georgia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location642 Telfair Street, Augusta, Georgia
Coordinates 33°28′13″N81°57′54″W / 33.47028°N 81.96500°W / 33.47028; -81.96500 Coordinates: 33°28′13″N81°57′54″W / 33.47028°N 81.96500°W / 33.47028; -81.96500
Built1812
ArchitectRobert Mills
Architectural style Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No. 97000100 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 21, 1997

First Presbyterian Church is an historic Presbyterian church located at 642 Telfair Street in Augusta, Georgia in the United States.

Contents

History

The church was established in 1804, [2] and the building was completed in 1812. [3] In 1808, while the congregation was still holding services at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, members helped start a church in Smyrna in Wilkes County. In 1925 the Ladies' Foreign Missionary Society already was collecting donations, making it the first such ministry in the world, according to the statistics of the church. During his childhood, United States president Woodrow Wilson's father, Joseph R. Wilson, was minister at First Presbyterian from 1858 to 1870. The Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home is a historic site nearby. In 1861 the Church hosted the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States and the first minister in this new denomination was President Wilson's father. [4] During the Civil War the building was used as a hospital for men wounded, and the churchyard was a detention camp for Union prisoners in the Battle of Chickamauga. Men who died were buried in the Magnolia Cemetery. During this time Joseph Wilson was called to the chaplain ministry in the army, and in 1870 Wilson was called to serve at a seminary in South Carolina. [5]

Westminster Day School was started in 1972. The campus of Westminster Schools, located on Wheeler Road, now has more than 500 pupils, grades K–4 through 12. First Presbyterian Church started a missions conference, and the annual event is a combination retreat and workshop for missionaries and their families. It also is an opportunity for the people of Augusta to hear about work in the field.

In 1973, First Presbyterian dropped its affiliation with the Southern Presbyterian Church over issues such as the authority of scripture and the role of women in the church, and became independent. It aligned itself with the Presbyterian Church in America in 1977.

Church building

An old picture from the congregation First Presbyterian Church, 642 Telfair Street, Augusta, (Richmond County, Georgia).jpg
An old picture from the congregation

Later the church served as a center of social and religious activities during World War I and World War II.

It was designed by architect Robert Mills in the Romanesque style. Mills was also Presbyterian, and was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. [6] The church sanctuary was built in 1809–12. The church was finished and dedicated in 1812 in Classical style. The church was significantly changed in 1847 to incorporate Romanesque round-arched windows and doors and crenellated parapet walls. Mills' design, however, is still evident in the shape and scale of the historic building. A plaque marks the Wilson pew in the sanctuary. A letter signed by President Wilson and some furniture used by his family when they lived in the manse were installed in a classroom. Four halls on the sides and rear of the sanctuary were added to the building from 1951 to 1978. On February 21, 1997, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, listed as First Presbyterian Church of Augusta. The church celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2004 [1]

Doctrine

First Presbyterian Church is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. [7]

It adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Shorter Cathechism and Westminster Larger Catechism. [8]

The church has about 1,900 members.

The lead pastor is Rev. Michael K. Hearon.

Related Research Articles

Presbyterian Church in the United States

The Presbyterian Church in the United States was a Protestant Christian denomination in the Southern and border states of the United States that existed from 1861 to 1983. That year it merged with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA) to form the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Westminster Hall and Burying Ground United States historic place

Westminster Hall and Burying Ground is a graveyard and former church located at 519 West Fayette Street in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It occupies the southeast corner of West Fayette and North Greene Street on the west side of downtown Baltimore.

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Presidential library and museum for U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, located in Staunton, Virginia

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is a complex located in Staunton, Virginia. It contains the President's birthplace, known as the "Manse", a Museum that explores the life and times of Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), a 6,800 square feet (630 m2) Research Library, a gift shop, and several other buildings that are not open to the public. As Woodrow Wilson's presidency predates the National Presidential Libraries act, it is not part of the Federal National Archives' Presidential library system.

Nassau Presbyterian Church Church in New Jersey , United States

The Nassau Presbyterian Church is a historic congregation located at 61 Nassau Street in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It has been the home of many important figures in the history of Presbyterianism in the United States as a result of its proximity to Princeton University and the Princeton Theological Seminary. The church operates the Princeton Cemetery and is a contributing property to the Princeton Historic District. The current pastor is The Reverend Dr. David A. Davis.

Westminster Presbyterian Church (Minneapolis) United States historic place

Westminster Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its current location is the third location in downtown in over 140 years. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

First Presbyterian Church (Chattanooga, Tennessee) Church in Tennessee, United States

The First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, located at 554 McCallie Avenue, is a historic, downtown congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and the first Christian congregation founded in Chattanooga.

First African Baptist Church (Savannah, Georgia) Church in Georgia, United States

First African Baptist Church, located in Savannah, Georgia, claims to be derived from the first black Baptist congregation in North America. While it was not officially organized until 1788, it grew from members who founded a congregation in 1773. Its claim of "first" is contested by the Silver Bluff Baptist Church, Aiken County, South Carolina (1773), and the First Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia, whose congregation officially organized in 1774.

Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House United States historic place

Pilgrim Memorial Church and Parish House is an historic church and parsonage at 249 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The church was designed by H. Neill Wilson, and was completed in 1897. It is a good local example of Gothic and Romanesque architecture, and was the first church built to serve the mill workers in the city's north end. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The present church congregation is Presbyterian.

Augusta Downtown Historic District United States historic place

Augusta Downtown Historic District is a historic district that encompasses most of Downtown Augusta, Georgia and its pre-Civil War area.

Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home United States historic place

The Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home is a historic house museum at 419 7th Street in Augusta, Georgia. Built in 1859, it was a childhood home of Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), the 28th president of the United States and proponent of the League of Nations. The house is owned and operated by Historic Augusta, Inc., and was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 6, 2008.

First Bryan Baptist Church United States historic place

Historic First Bryan Baptist Church is an African-American church that was organized in Savannah, Georgia, by Andrew Bryan in 1788. Considered to be the Mother Church of Black Baptist, the site was purchased in 1793 by Bryan, a former slave who had also purchased his freedom. The first structure was erected there in 1794. By 1800 the congregation was large enough to split: those at Bryan Street took the name of First African Baptist Church, and Second and Third African Baptist churches were also established. The current sanctuary of First Bryan Baptist Church was constructed in 1873.

Circular Congregational Church United States historic place

The Circular Congregational Church is a historic church at 150 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, United States, used by a congregation established in 1681. Its parish house, the Parish House of the Circular Congregational Church, is a highly significant Greek Revival architectural work by Robert Mills, and is recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Joseph Ruggles Wilson American theologian and father of Woodrow Wilson

Joseph Ruggles Wilson Sr. was a prominent Presbyterian theologian and father of President Woodrow Wilson, Nashville Banner editor Joseph Ruggles Wilson Jr., and Anne E. Wilson Howe. In 1861, as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia, he organized the General Assembly of the newly formed the Presbyterian Church in the United States, known as the Southern Presbyterian Church, and served as its clerk for thirty-seven years.

First Presbyterian Church (Columbia, South Carolina) United States historic place

The First Presbyterian Church is a historic church building in Columbia, South Carolina. Constructed in 1854, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 25, 1971.

First Presbyterian Church (Marion, Iowa) United States historic place

First Presbyterian Church is located in Marion, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

First Presbyterian Church (Troy, Ohio) United States historic place

First Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church building in the city of Troy, Ohio, United States. Built in the 1860s, it was the third building used by a congregation formed nearly fifty years earlier. A high-quality example of period Romanesque Revival architecture, it has been named a historic site.

First Presbyterian Church (Mankato, Minnesota) United States historic place

The First Presbyterian Church is a historic church in Mankato, Minnesota. It is a Richardsonian Romanesque-style building designed by Warren H. Hayes. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Midway Presbyterian Church and Cemetery United States historic place

Midway Presbyterian Church and Cemetery is a historic Presbyterian church at 4635 Dallas Highway/GA 120 SW in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Historic Presbyterian Community Center (Madison, Nebraska) United States historic place

The Historic Presbyterian Community Center, formerly the First Presbyterian Church, is a former church building in the city of Madison, in the northeastern part of the state of Nebraska, in the Midwestern United States.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ Cox, Dale. "First Presbyterian Church of Augusta, Georgia". Exploresouthernhistory.com. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "First Presbyterian Church--Augusta: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". Nps.gov. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  4. ↑ "First Presbyterian Church--Augusta: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". Nps.gov. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Mulder, John M. (8 March 2015). Woodrow Wilson: The Years of Preparation. Wilson Supplemental Volumes. Princeton University Press. ISBN   9781400871841 . Retrieved 30 July 2018– via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "PCA Churches in Georgia". Pcahistory.org. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  7. ↑ "Church Directory". Presbyterian Church in America. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  8. ↑ "Mission & Beliefs - First Presbyterian Church". First Presbyterian Church. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.