Our History
A Brief History
of
First Presbyterian Church
Milledgeville, Georgia
The city of Milledgeville was established as the state capital in 1804. As the population grew so did the desire for the establishment of churches. The Presbyterian Church in Milledgeville was organized on June 11, 1826 with six charter members. The Reverend Joseph Stiles (Yale College and Andover Seminary graduate) and Dr. John Brown (former president of Georgia University) were primarily responsible for the organization of the church . The church has had 25 installed pastors and currently has approximately 200 members.
The first church building was constructed on the Statehouse Square on land provided by the State Legislature. It stood adjacent to the Methodist, Baptist and Episcopal churches on the square. After several renovations of the original church, it was replaced by the present building. With the laying of the cornerstone, which was brought from Scotland and laid in 1904, the name of the church was changed to the First Presbyterian Church of Milledgeville. The new building was dedicated in 1906. In 1952 major renovations were made to the building.
Throughout its 184 years of existence, the church has worked actively in the community. In 1997 the Presbyterian School of Christian Education named the First Presbyterian Church of Milledgeville the recipient of the Elinor Curry Award for Outreach and Social Concern.