First Presbyterian Church, Columbia

First Presbyterian Church, Columbia

The First Presbyterian Church is a historic church building in Columbia. Although the first meetings of what would become the First Presbyterian Church were held in 1795, the congregation did not have a building of its own until 1813. In 1813, the South Carolina Legislature incorporated the church as the "First Presbyterian Church of the Town of Columbia".

The current site of the church was a shared cemetery with the local Episcopal congregation from 1794 to 1813. The legislature gave the cemetery and other lands to be shared between the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians. A local legend says that First Presbyterian and the now-nearby Trinity Episcopal Cathedral drew lots to determine which congregation would get what lot, with First Presbyterian receiving the cemetery, located at the corner of Lady and Marion Streets.

The 1813 building still exists, and is now known as Jackson Hall. A new, larger English Gothic structure was built in 1854. Though spared the torch during Sherman's march to the sea, the building's original 180-foot spire was destroyed in an 1875 hurricane, and rebuilt in 1888. The spire was again damaged in a 1910 fire, and rebuilt to be eight feet taller. A remodeling in 1925 increased the capacity of the building to 1,250 from 800, increasing the length of the building by 40 feet. At the same time, classrooms were built at the sides, a choir loft added in the rear, and the organ loft rebuilt.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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First Presbyterian Church on Map

Sight Name: First Presbyterian Church
Sight Location: Columbia, USA (See walking tours in Columbia)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Columbia, South Carolina

Create Your Own Walk in Columbia

Create Your Own Walk in Columbia

Creating your own self-guided walk in Columbia is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Churches Walking Tour

Historical Churches Walking Tour

Columbia has a variety of religious buildings, new and old that have an important cultural, historical and religious value in the entire South Carolina district. Most of them were renovated due to wars and natural causes but almost all of them tried to preserve the initial style elements that make them unique and attractive to tourists. This tour will guide you to some of the most famous churches...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Columbia Introduction Walking Tour

Columbia Introduction Walking Tour

Columbia is a beautiful city, the largest one in South Carolina, with a great history and beautiful landmarks. It has a large number of old houses that are now museums and that represent a whole part of the history. All these houses have been named after famous personalities and families from years ago. Take this tour and discover the beauty of downtown attractions.

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.6 Km or 3.5 Miles