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First Presbyterian Church (Pittsburgh) facts for kids

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First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh
First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh - IMG 7543.JPG
40°26′29″N 79°59′57″W / 40.441522°N 79.999121°W / 40.441522; -79.999121
Location 320 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Country United States
Denomination Presbyterian

The First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh is a lively church located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has a long history and is still an active place of worship today. The beautiful building you see today was finished in 1905.

Amazing Architecture

This church building was designed by a talented architect named Theophilus Parsons Chandler. It was built in 1905 in a style called neo-Gothic. This means it looks like old Gothic churches from long ago.

One really cool thing about the church is its stained-glass windows. Out of 253 windows, 13 were hand-painted by a famous company called Tiffany Studios! Imagine how colorful and bright they must be. Inside the main worship area, there are also two huge oak doors. They are 30 feet tall and weigh two tons each! Even though they are so big, they can still be opened to connect the main hall to the choir area.

A Look Back in Time: Church History

It's hard to know the exact date when the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh first started. But we have clues from a man named Mr. John Wilkins. In 1783, he wrote about arriving in Pittsburgh. He noticed that there weren't many Presbyterian ministers around.

Mr. Wilkins felt it was important to start a Presbyterian church in the area. After some time, a minister named Rev. Samuel Barr came to town. People liked his sermons, and he agreed to become the first ordained minister for what became the First Presbyterian Church.

Later, on September 29, 1787, a special law was passed. This law, from the Legislative Assembly in Philadelphia, officially recognized the Presbyterian Congregation in Pittsburgh. This was an important step in making the church a formal part of the community.

Images for kids

  • First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh in 2016

    First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh in 2016

  • Detail of stained-glass window in the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh

    One of the stained glass windows created by Tiffany Studios

  • Stained Glass Windows of the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh

    Wooden ceiling and the eastern wall of stained glass windows

  • First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh - IMG 7539

    The cemetery

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