First Presbyterian Church is a historic

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

church located in the

Fisher Park Historic District Fisher Park Historic District is a national historic district in the Fisher Park neighborhood, Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 541 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, and 44 contributing structu ...

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

History

First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1824 and was the first chartered Presbyterian church in the city. Four of its 12 original members were slaves. Thirty to 40 slaves were members by the time of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, and after being freed, 37 former slaves started Saint James Presbyterian at Friendly Avenue and Church Street. Saint James is now located on Ross Avenue. First Presbyterian Church has occupied four buildings in its history. The first three were located at Church Street and Summit Avenue north of the city center. The third building on that site, a

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

style brick structure, now houses the Greensboro Historical Museum. In 1929 First Presbyterian Church moved into its fourth and current building, a Gothic Revival cathedral overlooking

Fisher Park Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral. Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to: Places Australia *Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland *Elect ...

Recent pastors

* Dr. John A. Redhead began a 25-year pastorate in 1945. Dr. Redhead also spoke on the Protestant Radio Hour and Armed Forces Radio. * Dr. Joseph B. Mullin served from 1971 to 1988. The church's Mullin Life Center is named in honor of Dr. Mullin. * Dr. Jerold D. Shetler served from 1988 to 1998. * On January 1, 2001, Dr. Sid Batts became the church's eleventh pastor. * In 2018, Dr. Daniel W. Massie became interim pastor.

Notable parishioners

* Janet Kay Ruthven Hagan, U.S. Senator from 2009 to 2015 *

Thomas W. Ross Thomas Warren Ross Sr. is an American public official who served as the president of the University of North Carolina system from 2011 to 2016. He succeeded Erskine Bowles on January 1, 2011. Formerly, he was president of Davidson College, a pri ...

, president of the University of North Carolina system from 2011 to 2016 * Mary Bonneau McElveen-Hunter, businesswoman and socialite, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland Interior view of north-facing rose window

Interior view of north-facing rose window

John Motley Morehead John Motley Morehead (July 4, 1796 – August 27, 1866) was an American lawyer and politician who became the 29th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina (1841 to 1845). He became known as "the Father of Modern North Carolina." Early and ...

, 29th Governor of North Carolina *

William Cunningham Smith William Cunningham Smith (1871–1943) was an American academic of English literature, university administrator, and writer. Life and career Born in Greensboro, Smith was educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He attended grad ...

, Former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the

University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. UNCG, like all members of the UNC system, is a stand- ...

* Robert Paine Dick, United States District Court Justice *

William Crosby Dawson William Crosby Dawson (January 4, 1798May 5, 1856) was a lawyer, judge, politician, and soldier from Georgia. Early life, education and legal career Dawson was born in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia, January 4, 1798. His parents were Geo ...

, U.S. Congressman *

John Adams Gilmer John Adams Gilmer (November 4, 1805 – May 4, 1868) was a United States House of Representatives, Congressional Representative from North Carolina. Gilmer was born in Guilford County, North Carolina near Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro. ...

, U.S. Congressman *

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor ...

, 74th Governor of North Carolina *

L. Richardson Preyer Lunsford Richardson Preyer (January 11, 1919 – April 3, 2001) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina and later a United States representative from North Carolina. Educat ...

, U.S. Congressman

References

{{Commons category, First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro Churches in Greensboro, North Carolina Gothic Revival church buildings in North Carolina Presbyterian churches in North Carolina Religious organizations established in 1824