Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Encyclopedia
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary
affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
, located in Louisville, Kentucky
. It is one of ten official PC(USA) seminaries.
Though now located in Louisville, Kentucky
, it was founded in 1853 in Danville, Kentucky
(the site is now Centre College
). Though it thrived in its early years, the Civil War
took a great toll and by 1870 there were only 6 students enrolled, and as few as one professor at times, requiring classes to be taught by the faculty of Centre College.
In 1893, a seminary opened in Louisville, operating out of Sunday School rooms in Second Presbyterian Church at Second and Broadway, with 31 students and six professors initially, and an endowment of $104,000. Longtime treasurer W.T. Grant died in 1901 and left his entire $300,000 estate to the seminary, which helped finance construction of a new Gothic-style Campus.
In 1901, the still-struggling Danville seminary merged with the Louisville one. Because of the merger, it was the lone institution supported simultaneously by the northern and southern branches of the modern Presbyterian Church (USA). Faculty and students have been drawn from both denominations. The two branches, which split during the Civil War, were reunited in 1983.
In the 1950s, Interstate 65
was planned to be constructed within a few feet of the seminary building. This led to a move in 1963 to a new campus off of Alta Vista Road, in the Cherokee-Seneca
neighborhood. The old Gothic-style buildings eventually became the campus of Jefferson Community College, which is now a part of Jefferson Community and Technical College. The Seminary would eventually acquire the Gardencourt Mansion, and integrate it into the adjacent campus.
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
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 in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. It is one of ten official PC(USA) seminaries.
Though now located in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, it was founded in 1853 in Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
(the site is now Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
). Though it thrived in its early years, the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
took a great toll and by 1870 there were only 6 students enrolled, and as few as one professor at times, requiring classes to be taught by the faculty of Centre College.
In 1893, a seminary opened in Louisville, operating out of Sunday School rooms in Second Presbyterian Church at Second and Broadway, with 31 students and six professors initially, and an endowment of $104,000. Longtime treasurer W.T. Grant died in 1901 and left his entire $300,000 estate to the seminary, which helped finance construction of a new Gothic-style Campus.
In 1901, the still-struggling Danville seminary merged with the Louisville one. Because of the merger, it was the lone institution supported simultaneously by the northern and southern branches of the modern Presbyterian Church (USA). Faculty and students have been drawn from both denominations. The two branches, which split during the Civil War, were reunited in 1983.
In the 1950s, Interstate 65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
was planned to be constructed within a few feet of the seminary building. This led to a move in 1963 to a new campus off of Alta Vista Road, in the Cherokee-Seneca
Cherokee-Seneca
Cherokee-Seneca is a neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is bounded by I-64 and other neighborhoods, and includes the two large parks Cherokee Park and Seneca Park, as well as the homes built around those parks...
neighborhood. The old Gothic-style buildings eventually became the campus of Jefferson Community College, which is now a part of Jefferson Community and Technical College. The Seminary would eventually acquire the Gardencourt Mansion, and integrate it into the adjacent campus.