Covenant First Presbyterian Church
Encyclopedia
The Covenant First Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
located at 717 Elm Street at Eighth Street and Garfield Place in Cincinnati, Ohio
. Two churches, the First Presbyterian and Covenant Presbyterian merged in the 1933 to become the Covenant First Presbyterian Church.
The first Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati was on the north side of Fourth Street near Main and was organized October 16, 1790.
First Presbyterian was organized October 16, 1790, the first pastor being James Kemper. Kemper's log cabin
is preserved in Sharon Woods Park in Sharonville, OH. Second Presbyterian grew out of First Presbyterian in 1816. After moving to various locations in downtown Cincinnati, Second Presbyterian settled into the present location at the corner of 8th and Elm streets. Dr Henry van Dyke
preached the sermon for the dedication of the sanctuary on April 11, 1875.
In 1833, Lyman Beecher
was called as pastor of Second Presbyterian and president of Lane Theological Seminary. During his tenure in town, he had a falling out with Joshua Lacy Wilson, the pastor of First Presbyterian. Wilson eventually charged Beecher with heresy. Though Beecher was acquitted by the higher governing bodies of the church, his ministry was compromised, and he left in 1843. A memorial plaque to Dr. Beecher is in the bell tower of Covenant-First Presbyterian. On the other side of the building, the church has a portrait of Joshua Lacy Wilson. Though the rift between First and Second presbyterian churches was healed in the merger that created Covenant-First, the feuding pastors remain on opposite ends of the facilities.
, of handcut stone from the quarries of church member Colonel Peter Rudolph Neff. The belfry
remains as originally constructed and contains a huge bell bearing the old inscription in bold relief, "Revere, Boston." The unusual interior arrangement is said to have its origin in the seventeenth century Gothic tithing -barns of the Scottish-English border country. The pulpit furniture was carved from black walnut by Henry L. Fry.
On January 29, 1973 the church's historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
located at 717 Elm Street at Eighth Street and Garfield Place in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Two churches, the First Presbyterian and Covenant Presbyterian merged in the 1933 to become the Covenant First Presbyterian Church.
The first Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati was on the north side of Fourth Street near Main and was organized October 16, 1790.
History
Covenant-First Presbyterian is the heir of the heritage of both First Presbyterian, Cincinnati and Covenant Presbyterian (formerly Second Presbyterian of Cincinnati).First Presbyterian was organized October 16, 1790, the first pastor being James Kemper. Kemper's log cabin
Kemper Log House
The Kemper Log House is a two-story, double pen log house, which was built in 1804 by the Reverend James Kemper on Kemper Lane, in the Walnut Hills neighborhood. It was occupied by members of his family until 1897. It is one of the oldest houses built in Cincinnati, Ohio that is still standing...
is preserved in Sharon Woods Park in Sharonville, OH. Second Presbyterian grew out of First Presbyterian in 1816. After moving to various locations in downtown Cincinnati, Second Presbyterian settled into the present location at the corner of 8th and Elm streets. Dr Henry van Dyke
Henry van Dyke
Henry Jackson van Dyke was an American author, educator, and clergyman.-Biography:Henry van Dyke was born on November 11, 1852 in Germantown, Pennsylvania in the United States....
preached the sermon for the dedication of the sanctuary on April 11, 1875.
In 1833, Lyman Beecher
Lyman Beecher
Lyman Beecher was a Presbyterian minister, American Temperance Society co-founder and leader, and the father of 13 children, many of whom were noted leaders, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Catharine Beecher, and Thomas...
was called as pastor of Second Presbyterian and president of Lane Theological Seminary. During his tenure in town, he had a falling out with Joshua Lacy Wilson, the pastor of First Presbyterian. Wilson eventually charged Beecher with heresy. Though Beecher was acquitted by the higher governing bodies of the church, his ministry was compromised, and he left in 1843. A memorial plaque to Dr. Beecher is in the bell tower of Covenant-First Presbyterian. On the other side of the building, the church has a portrait of Joshua Lacy Wilson. Though the rift between First and Second presbyterian churches was healed in the merger that created Covenant-First, the feuding pastors remain on opposite ends of the facilities.
Church facility
The present Church building was dedicated April 11, 1875. The Gothic style church was constructed, facing Piatt ParkPiatt Park
Piatt Park , is the oldest park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It stretches two blocks between Elm Street and Vine Street on Garfield Place/8th Street. The park is owned and maintained by the Cincinnati Park Board.-History:...
, of handcut stone from the quarries of church member Colonel Peter Rudolph Neff. The belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
remains as originally constructed and contains a huge bell bearing the old inscription in bold relief, "Revere, Boston." The unusual interior arrangement is said to have its origin in the seventeenth century Gothic tithing -barns of the Scottish-English border country. The pulpit furniture was carved from black walnut by Henry L. Fry.
On January 29, 1973 the church's historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
List of recent pastors
- Rev. Frank Elder; 1928-1950
- Rev. Paul Ketchum (AP); 1940-1942
- Rev. J. Louis Crandall (AP); 1943-1944
- Rev. Hodson Young (AP); 1944-1945
- Rev. John McLeod (AP); 1945-1953
- Rev. Irvin Yeaworth; 1950-1967
- Rev. S. Allen Catalin (AP); 1957-1960
- Rev. Harold Russell; 1967-1984
- Rev. Robert Strain (AP); 1973-1974
- Rev. Peter J. Fosburg; 1984-1994
- Rev. Russell Smith; 2001-present
- Rev. Nathaniel M. Wright (AP); 2008-present
