1905 |
circa 1914 |
1950 |
1991 |
2000
Sanctuary Interior |
History of First Presbyterian Church
In November of 1835, in a space shared with our Methodist and Baptist brethren, 12 members from four families formed themselves into the Marietta Presbyterian Church. Marietta Presbyterian elected two ruling elders and were led by the Reverend William Quillin, the first of four successive supply pastors.
Within five years, a small frame structure (on the northwest corner of Lawrence and Waddell Streets) was built and Marietta Presbyterian moved into its own worship house.
Dr. John Jones served the church from 1848 until 1853. During his tenure as Senior Pastor, Dr. Jones bequeathed the land upon which our present sanctuary was built. At that time, we had fewer than 100 faithful members. The simple Greek Revival structure (that continues to serve as home for many of our current worship services) was built during this time in 1854.
Remodeled between 1903-1905 to its present colonial revival style and renamed First Presbyterian Church, our Sanctuary is joined by four adjacent structures. The latest of these, completed in l991 and renamed Speed Hall, contains the multipurpose Great Hall. In 2002 the church leased a nearby industrial building and renovated it for youth activities. Named The Warehouse, this modern facility is the center for ministries involving hundreds of members and/or friends.
Long and harmonious relationships (both within the congregation and with our pastoral leaders) are a hallmark of our church’s history. The First Presbyterian Church of Marietta has only had twelve installed pastors since Dr. John Jones. Four of these, Dr. David Lyman Buttolph (1867-1887), Dr. John H. Patton (1891-1940), Dr. Harry K. Holland (1947-1969), and Dr. James O. Speed (1972-1999) served a total of 116 years!
Most of our membership growth occurred post World War II. During that time, the landscape of our community changed dramatically with the building of a B-29 bomber assembly plant. By the end of the war, our membership numbers had made their biggest jump in nearly 25 years. Except for a small membership loss in 1958, when a daughter church (John Knox Presbyterian) was colonized, growth has continued through the 20th century.
We have been blessed to be a part of the extension of Christ’s message through partnerships with the Cherokee Presbytery. We’ve had the privilege of playing a significant role in the establishment of six other Presbyterian churches in Cobb County. First Presbyterian was home to the Bethany Korean Church for almost three years in the 1980s before Bethany acquired its own church building. Today, we share our facilities with a Kenyan american Community Church who meet here on Sunday afternoons.
From rather humble beginnings, we are honored to share the gospel with over 2700 members today.
We thank our pioneer members and give God the glory for the diverse, growing, faithful congregation that worships together at First Presbyterian Church today.
For a complete history of our church, please pick up a copy of God at Work available for sale at the front desk. |
