This photo shows the
church sometime prior to 1929. |
The First Presbyterian Church
of Auburn Kansas is older than the state of Kansas itself!
In February of 1857, Rev. Francis Monfort came to visit what
was then called Brownville. He was encouraged by the
interest shown, and he moved to Brownville. On September
15, 1857, an organizational meeting was held in the home of
one of the nine charter members of the church. The
church was formally organized on January 30, 1858.
When another post office with
the name Brownville was discovered in the Kansas Territory,
the name of the town was changed to Auburn, and the name of
the church to First Presbyterian Church of Auburn.
Construction of a church
building was frustrating. The first attempt was
interrupted by the Civil War. Then, in the mid 1860's, a
frame church was completed, but it was lost in a severe
windstorm. The Presbyterians and the Baptists then
decided to work together, and they built the stone church that
still stands on the corner of 8th & Washington. The
inscription over the door reads, "Union Church 1877".
In 1889, the Presbyterians
decided to sell their interest to the Baptists. They
then moved to the land upon where the church is now located at
11th & Washington. At the annual business meeting, held
March 3, 1889, it was agreed to build a new house of worship.
The sanctuary was was completed within a year. The first
worship service was held in the sanctuary on March 1, 1890.
The cost of the building was $3,300.
The church grew, and in April,
1929, an addition was added to the north side of the
sanctuary, giving the church much needed classroom space.
Electrical wiring was installed in 1938. In 1948, the
upstairs was finished, providing two more classrooms and a
place for the youth to meet.
On September 22, 1957, the
church celebrated its 100th birthday. Rev Rowan Potter
was the pastor. In 1961, the Manse Hall was built.
Until the Manse Hall was built, the restroom facility was an
outhouse that stood east of the sanctuary.
On September 26, 1982, the
church celebrated it's 125th birthday. Rev. Robert
Duncan was the pastor. Bessie Moore wrote, Bernice Moore
directed, and members of the congregation acted out a play
depicting the historical highlights of the church.
View in late 1990's. |
Also, in 1982, a sound system
was installed, and in 1985, a bathroom was installed in the
church building. In 1988, the cement patio was poured on
the west side of the church. In 1990, the church
celebrated the 100th birthday of the sanctuary , and in 1992,
the gazebo was built.
In January of 2008, we will celebrate the
150th year of our mission and ministry in Auburn. We
thank the Lord for the saints who have gone before us, and who
presented the gospel to us. We pray that the Lord will
find us faithful in fulfilling our mission of presenting the
gospel to future generations. We pray that He will use
us to further His purposes and His kingdom until the day when
we too, will join the saints in heaven, and become a part of
the church's history. |
