Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church
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Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church, 2008
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Stone Dr. (Hwy. 11W) and Afton, Kingsport, Tennessee |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1845 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001845 |
| Added to NRHP | October 02, 1973 |
The Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church is a very old and important church in Kingsport, Tennessee. It was once called the Boatyard Presbyterian Church and later the Kingsport Presbyterian Church. This church started on May 20, 1820. It is the oldest church of any kind in Kingsport. It is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Contents
History of the Old Kingsport Church
Early Beginnings
The church community began in 1820. At first, they met in a simple building made of logs. This log building was located in what is now the Old Kingsport Presbyterian Church cemetery. The cemetery is still used today. It has many old graves from the 1800s.
The first pastor, or minister, was Reverend Robert Glenn. He served the church from 1820 to 1826.
A New Building and Growth
Reverend Dr. Frederick Augustus Ross became the minister in 1826. He owned a large home called Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport. Dr. Ross served the church until 1852 without pay. Under his leadership, the church grew very quickly. The log building soon became too small for everyone.
Dr. Ross paid for the new church building to be constructed in 1845. The building was finished and officially opened on July 18, 1846. Dr. Ross also gave the church a large brass bell. This bell was made in West Troy, New York, by a famous company called the Meneely Bell Foundry. The bell still calls people to worship today. The church building is a great example of Greek Revival architecture. It is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Kingsport.
Challenges and Changes
The American Civil War (1861-1865) caused hard times for Kingsport and the church. The number of church members slowly went down after the war. Many different pastors served for short times between 1865 and 1910.
In 1910, railroad tracks were built just north of the church. Because of this, the church building had to be moved a few yards south. It was also turned to face east. Before, it had faced north.
Rebuilding and Moving
The City of Kingsport was created in 1917. Most of the remaining members left the Old Kingsport Church. They started a new church called the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Kingsport. Only five members stayed at the Old Kingsport Church. For the next 20 years, the church building was used as a community center. However, the Sunday School program stayed active through the 1920s and 1930s.
The church was officially restarted in June 1937. It slowly began to gain more members. The first pastor of the restarted church was Reverend Albert H. Mutschler. He helped renovate the old building. He also oversaw the construction of new Sunday School rooms and a basement. In 1950, a fellowship hall was dug out under the main church area.
In the summer of 1953, the church building was moved again. It went to its current location off Stone Drive (U.S. Route 11W). Mrs. Octavia Patton donated the land for the church's new home.
Modern Times
The 1950s and 1960s were a time of fast growth for the church. During these years, the church had many programs. It also had a large number of young people and youth. The church reached its highest number of members, 190, in the early 1970s.
Since then, the number of members has slowly gone down. The church also has an older group of members. These trends are common for many older church groups today.
In 1973, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
Reverend David Hambrick served as an interim pastor from 2003 to 2015. The current pastor is Mr. Jeff Morelock. He started his service on August 1, 2016. In recent years, the historic building has received many repairs and updates. It has also been made more beautiful, both inside and out. After almost 200 years, the Old Kingsport congregation is still active in the Kingsport area.
