First Presbyterian Church - Table of Contents
Illustrated
History of the First Presbyterian
Church
One Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY
Organization
The First Church Building - Main & Church Streets
The Second Church Building - Main and Church Streets
| - Organization  Old Court House and Jail - 1908 photo. Photo source: "A History of the City of Buffalo," published by the The Buffalo Evening News, 1908. "Thaddeus Osgood organized the First Congregational and Presbyterian Church of Buffalo - the city's oldest congregation - in February, 1812. With twenty-five charter members present, they met in the city's first courthouse." - James Napora, History of the First Presbyterian Church |
The First Church Building The First Church Building Photo courtesy of Bruce McCausland. "Keeping with its practice of providing land for the construction of churches and schools, on 12 December, 1820 Joseph Ellicott of the Holland Land Company donated a plot to the First Presbyterian Society of the Town of Buffalo. Three years later, they constructed a forty by fifty foot house of worship on the northwest corner of Main and Church Street at a cost of $874." - James Napora, History of the First Presbyterian Church This building - the first building - was constructed in 1823 at the NW corner of Main and Church streets at a cost of $874 and was used until 1827 when the Old Brick Church was built. The 1823 building was moved several times and was last used as a brewery when it burned down early in the 20th century. This same picture is visible in the 50th anniversary photo taken in the Old Brick Church in 1877 on the chancel. . |
The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First"  The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First." The Churches as they appeared in the early 1880s. Left: St. Paul's Episcopal Church Center background: St. Joseph's Cathedral Right: "Old First" -1827 building 3 details below:  Detail #1 - St. Paul's Episcopal Church  Detail #2 - St. Joseph's Cathedral  Detail #3 - The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First."  The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First" Photo source: "The Picture Book of Earlier Buffalo," Frank H. Severance, ed. Buffalo Historical Society Publications, Vol. 16, 1912. "The congregation dedicated the new, $17,500 building on the [NW] corner of Main and Church Streets on 28 March, 1827. They sold their original building to the Methodists who moved it to a site on Niagara near Eagle.  The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First" Photo source: Collection of Dale & Janice Rossi Left:
St.
Paul's Episcopal Church
Center background:Old County Hall Right: "Old First"-1827 building  The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First" Photo source: "The Picture Book of Earlier Buffalo," Frank H. Severance, ed. Buffalo Historical Society Publications, Vol. 16, 1912 Left:
St. Paul's
Episcopal Church
Center background: St. Joseph's Cathedral Right: "Old First" -1827 building  The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First" Photo source: "The Picture Book of Earlier Buffalo," Frank H. Severance, ed. Buffalo Historical Society Publications, Vol. 16, 1912  The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First" Photo courtesy of Bruce McCausland  The Second Church Building - 1827 "Old First" Photo courtesy of Bruce McCausland 1851 bell ...The first bell cracked in 1833 during a fire, then again in the 1840's before being recast in 1851. . |
The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle  The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle. Green & Wicks' architect's competitive design watercolor as published in the 1890 American Architect and Building News  The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle. Photo courtesy of Bruce McCausland Photo of the unfinished First Presbyterian Church (circa 1895/6) before the tower was completed. This is taken from the book The History of Buffalo & Niagara published in 1896 and in possession of the Church.  The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle: C. 1896 tower construction The First Presbyterian Church tower construction was halted during the early 1890's and continued in 1896 when additional funds were raised. The lower section seen here was built from solid Medina sandstone and in order to save money the remaining section was built instead with a brick interior and a sandstone facing. It is partially because of this change in construction that the problems with the tower have surfaced as water infiltrated the mortar, the expansion and contraction of the ice that formed have pulverized the interior brick over the years, thus the temporary bracing system installed at 2007 was required. Photo and text courtesy of Bruce McCausland  The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle: Parish House Photo courtesy of Bruce McCausland Architect's rendering of the Parish house constructed in 1925 and designed by E.B. Green & Sons which was formed in 1917 after William Sidney Wicks retired (Green & Wicks)  The Third Church Building "On 13 December, 1891 they celebrated their first service in their completed house of worship. Upon the completion of the 163 foot tower, the congregation formally dedicated the sanctuary on 6 May, 1897." - Jim Napora, History of the First Presbyterian Church  The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle. Photo courtesy of Bruce McCausland Pre-1924 photo Note The Circle  The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle ... 1912 photo. Photo courtesy of Bruce McCausland  The Third Church Building - 1891 First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle . Memorial plaque for Eleanor and William Rogers . |
Welcome Hall  Welcome Hall. Built 1897 at 404-408 Seneca St. as a mission ... "Because of the economics of the times; the church was forced to give up the mission of Welcome Hall following the retirement of Rev. William E. McLennan, who had been the director since 1909. The building and mission was sold to the City of Buffalo where it remained in operation as a community center before being closed and torn down a few years later." - Bruce McCausland, 1887-2012 History of the First Presbyterian Church Three additional drawings below:  Welcome Hall Green & Wicks Additional drawing #1  Welcome Hall Additional drawing #2  Welcome Hall Additional drawing #3 . |