First Presbyterian Church (Greeneville, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Presbyterian Church |
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First Presbyterian Church and the nearby Christ Chapel
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| Location | 110 North Main Street, Greeneville, Tennessee |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church (USA) |
| Churchmanship | Reformed |
| Website | www.firstpresgreeneville.org |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church
Harmony Church Greeneville Presbyterian Church |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1780 |
| Founder(s) | Rev. Samuel Doak |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | active |
| Heritage designation | NRHP |
| Designated | May 3, 1974 |
| Architectural type | Greek Revival |
| Completed | 1848 |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Holston Presbytery |
| Synod | Synod of Living Waters |
The First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville, Tennessee, is a historic church that has been around for a very long time. It was the first church ever started in Greeneville and is one of the oldest in all of Tennessee.
The church began in 1780, even before Tennessee was a state. A traveling frontier preacher named Samuel Doak held the first services. The church's first permanent minister was Reverend Hezekiah Balch, who began leading regular services in 1783.
Contents
The Story of the Church
Early Days and New Names
When the church first started, it was called Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church. The first building was a simple log cabin. In 1798, some church members had a disagreement about religious ideas. This led to a split, and the church was renamed Harmony Church.
Over the years, the name changed again. In 1840, it became Greeneville Presbyterian Church. Finally, in 1940, it got the name it has today: First Presbyterian Church.
A New Building and a Fire
The beautiful brick church building that stands today was built in 1848. It has a classic Greek Revival style, which was popular at the time.
Sadly, a fire in 1928 destroyed the inside of the church. But the strong brick walls survived the blaze. The congregation worked together to rebuild the interior.
Over the years, the church has grown. An education wing was added in 1926. In 1999, a new chapel called Christ Chapel was built. A year later, in 2000, the Family and Nurture Center was added.
Fighting Against Slavery
The church and its members played an important role in the abolitionist movement, which was the effort to end slavery in the United States.
- In 1807, Reverend Hezekiah Balch publicly freed the people he had enslaved.
- Reverend Samuel Doak, who also founded Tusculum College, did the same in 1818.
- Another pastor, Francis McCorkle, was a key member of a group called the Manumission Society of Tennessee, which worked to free enslaved people.
A Long-Lasting Legacy
First Presbyterian Church is recognized as an important historical site. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Greeneville Historic District. It is also the "parent church" of Tusculum College, meaning it helped the college get started.
Remember the disagreement that split the church in 1798? The members who left kept the original name, Mount Bethel. For 192 years, the two churches were separate. But in 1990, they finally merged back together, ending the long separation.
The Music of the Church
Music is a big part of the First Presbyterian Church, especially the sound of its pipe organs. A pipe organ is a large musical instrument that makes sound by forcing air through pipes of different sizes.
The church got its first pipe organ in 1905. A few years later, it was upgraded, but this organ was destroyed in the 1928 fire. After the fire, the church quickly replaced it with a similar one.
In 1964, a new, larger organ was built for the church. It reused some of the pipes from the previous organ but also added many new ones.
In the early 1990s, the church decided to get an even better instrument. The Schantz Organ Company built a new organ with 1,630 pipes. This powerful organ is so big that its pipes are located in chambers on both sides of the front of the sanctuary.
When Christ Chapel was built in 1999, it also got its own special pipe organ. Though smaller, it has 381 pipes and creates beautiful music for the chapel.
See also
- Oldest churches in the United States
