Independent Presbyterian Church, Savannah

Savannah’s Independent Presbyterian Church is often described as the mother church of Presbyterianism in Georgia. Its congregation was organized in 1755 and first worshiped in a building erected on land granted by King George II. The church followed the traditions and teachings of the Church of Scotland.

Its early buildings endured a difficult history. During the American Revolution, British forces used one of them as both a stable and an ammunition store. That structure was later destroyed by fire in 1790. A replacement opened soon afterward, but a powerful hurricane damaged it in 1800, requiring extensive repairs. By 1816, the congregation had grown too large for the building and decided to construct a larger church.

Architect John Holden Greene designed the new sanctuary in the English Restoration style. Its dignified interior featured tall Federal-style windows, Corinthian columns, an elevated pulpit, and abundant natural light. However, this building was also lost when a fire swept through the church in 1889.

Look closely at the church you see today. Completed two years after the fire, it was designed by architect William G. Preston as an almost exact reconstruction of Greene’s earlier building. Inside, the sanctuary still reflects that historic arrangement, with its bright windows, classical columns, and prominent pulpit. A few objects like the marble baptismal font, which survived the 1889 fire, remain in use today—a rare physical link to the church’s earlier history.