 First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, NC, was organized at its present location in 1821 and the first church building was dedicated in 1823. The property was deeded by the town to a church member, John Irwin, who paid off an existing mortgage and in 1841 deeded the property to the trustees of the church.
Dr. Robert Hall Morrison was the first minister. He was later to become the first president of Davidson College.
The second building was erected on the site in 1857, The Gothic revival architecture style of this building has been retained through all subsequent additions. From the 1857 building, there remains in the present structure the facade of the church, the narthex and tower. The spire was rebuilt in 1883-84 and the sanctuary was enlarged in 1895.
The church has been the scene of several special events since its founding. Among them was the fiftieth anniversary celebrated in 1825 of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence of May 20, 1775. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States has met in the church on four occasions: 1864, 1897, 1920, and 1958. |
