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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on January 25, 1971.

History

Although the first meetings of what would become the First Presbyterian Church were held in 1795, the congregation did not have a building of its own until 1813, having met in the

South Carolina State House The South Carolina State House is the building housing the government of the U.S. state of South Carolina, which includes the South Carolina General Assembly and the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. Located in th ...

and on the campus of the South Carolina College until then. In 1813, the South Carolina Legislature incorporated the church as the "First Presbyterian Church of the Town of Columbia" The current site of the church was a shared cemetery with the local Episcopal congregation from 1794 to 1813. The legislature gave the cemetery and other lands to be shared between the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians. A local legend says that First Presbyterian and the now-nearby Trinity Episcopal Cathedral drew lots to determine which congregation would get what lot, with First Presbyterian receiving the cemetery, located at the corner of Lady and Marion Streets. FPCColumbia OldSanctuary

The 1813 building still exists, and is now known as Jackson Hall. A new, larger

English Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...

structure was built in 1853. Though spared the torch during Sherman's march to the sea, the building's original 180-foot spire was destroyed in an 1875 hurricane, and rebuilt in 1888. The spire was again damaged in a 1910 fire, and rebuilt to be eight feet taller. A remodelling in 1925 increased the capacity of the building to 1,250 from 800, increasing the length of the building by 40 feet. At the same time, classrooms were built at the sides, a choir loft added in the rear, and the organ loft rebuilt. Formerly a member of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, it seceded in 1983 and joined the

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC), as it exists today, is the historical descendant of the Synod of the South, a Synod of the Associate Reformed Church. The original Associate Reformed Church resulted from a merger of the Associate ...

. The current pastor is Derek Thomas. Among the notable people buried in the church's cemetery are the parents of

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

;

Henry William de Saussure Henry William de Saussure (August 16, 1763 – March 26, 1839) was an American lawyer, state legislator and jurist from South Carolina who became a political leader as a member of the Federalist Party following the Revolutionary War. He was app ...

, second director of the

United States Mint The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; tha ...

;

Jonathan Maxcy Jonathan Maxcy (September 2, 1768 – June 4, 1820) was an American Baptist minister and college president. He was the second president of Brown University (then known as the ''College in the English Colony of Rhode Island & Providence Plantati ...

, the first president of South Carolina College; and

Martha Thomas Fitzgerald Martha Elizabeth Thomas "Mattie" Fitzgerald (August 5, 1894 – January 23, 1981) was an educator and politician from South Carolina. She was the first woman elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in a general election. Fitzgerald ...

, first woman elected in a general election to the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

References

External links

Church website
* {{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina Churches completed in 1854 19th-century Presbyterian church buildings in the United States Presbyterian churches in South Carolina Protestant Reformed cemeteries Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Columbia, South Carolina 1813 establishments in the United States Churches in Columbia, South Carolina Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church