First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna give it to you straight. The Fort Worth Presbyterian Church got its start in 1873; ten charter members, that's it, ten souls who figured this town needed a congregation. They affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, U.S. (the Southern branch) and they put up a frame sanctuary right there at the corner of 4th and Calhoun Streets.

By 1886 the name had changed to First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, and four years after that, in 1890, they graduated from wood to stone. New structure, new name, same stubborn faith. Now, across town, something else was taking root.

A Fort Worth congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church had formed in 1878; a separate outfit, its own people, its own story. Then in 1906, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. (the Northern branch) and when that happened, the word Cumberland got dropped from the local church's name right along with it. So now you've got two Fort Worth congregations.

One Southern, one Northern, both Presbyterian, both trying to serve the same city. And here's where the story gets interesting. Rather than go on eyeing each other across town, the two congregations decided in 1916 to do something that had never been done before in Texas.

They united to form a federation: the first such union in the whole state. They met together, they shared one pastor, but they each held onto their separate national affiliations. Two churches, one roof, one preacher, two flags flying.

That arrangement held for decades. Then on December 23, 1956, the congregation opened a new edifice right here on this site; a building meant to hold everything that had grown out of those two traditions. And then, in 1983, the national picture finally caught up with what Fort Worth had been doing all along.

The Southern and Northern denominations united to form the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. What two Fort Worth congregations had figured out how to do together back in 1916, the whole denomination took until 1983 to manage. Sometimes a city gets there first.

What the marker says

The Fort Worth Presbyterian Church was organized in 1873 with ten charter members. Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, U. S. ("Southern"), the congregation built a frame sanctuary at the corner of 4th and Calhoun Streets. In 1886 the name was changed to First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, and a new stone structure was built in 1890. A Fort Worth congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was formed in 1878. When the Cumberland Presbyterian Church affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. ("Northern") in 1906, the word Cumberland was dropped from the local church's name. Desiring to work together to serve the community with worship and missionary programs, the two Fort Worth congregations united in 1916 to form a federation, the first such union in Texas. The members met together and shared one pastor, but maintained separate national affiliations. The congregation erected a new edifice at this site, opening it on December 23, 1956. The "Southern" and "Northern" denominations united in 1983 to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). (1992)