Almost two centuries ago, our neighborhood Reformed Church was the Market Square Church, one of the earliest (1733) German Reformed Churches in America. Services there were spoken in German, and there was high hope that the next pastor would preach in English. However, another pastor from Germany had agreed to come, and the older members of the Church stipulated that all services had to be held in German.
Young people no longer knew German very well and therefore had little participation or interest in the Market Square Church. The idea of organizing an English speaking Calvinistic Church quickly crystallized. There was already a definite constituency for such a Church since a group had been meeting on Sundays at the home of the Rev. Samuel Blair, a distinguished clergyman, for the benefit of his expositions of the Scripture.
No account of an actual organization of our Church can be found. There is a record in the Presbytery’s Minutes for October 10, 1810, when Rev. Thomas Dunn, a Baptist lately for England, was received by the Presbytery, that since he had “for of the people, it was agreed that he should be regularly appointed to preach for the new Church.” Because of this record, it was decided at our Centenary Celebration in 1909 to take October 17, 1809, as the date of our organization.
Ground was broken for a new building on August 5th on Germantown Avenue, between Haines and Rittenhouse, and the cornerstone was laid on September 10th. The total cost of property and building was $17,000, for which the group was not prepared. They had “over built” and serious indebtedness hung over their shoulders for 27 years. The Presbytery was asked several times for financial aid, but none was forthcoming.
In 1815, Rev. Bourne was installed as an interim pastor. His denunciation of slavery had caused him to leave his presbytery in Lexington, but the controversy traveled with him. The Philadelphia Presbytery asked the Church to remove him, and the Church instead cut ties with the denomination. The Church re-joined and sided with the presbytery in 1817, causing many members to leave and form an independent church with Rev. Bourne.
The Church secured a new Charter (1832) in which the Church received its present name,”The First Presbyterian Church in Germantown.” And in 1836 we became “free from all debt whatever” – for the first time.
In the 1870s, FPCG sold its Germantown Avenue property and established itself at our present location, with the construction of a new house of worship. All pew rentals were abolished, and a budget with voluntary subscriptions successfully established.
In the late 1880s, our membership passed the 1,000 line and grew so rapidly that an enlargement of the church auditorium became necessary. In 1888 the West Transept was built, followed by the East Transept in 1892, to further accommodate the growing needs of the Church.
In 1917, the McLean organ, built by the Austin Company, was donated. The sanctuary was renovated to make room for what was, at the time, the second largest organ in Philadelphia. Between 1945 and 1949, Violet Oakley painted Woman of the Bible, a series of murals, in the Jennings Room.
Over the years, FPCG has undergone five major renovations, and our current building is the church’s third home. Each renovation has reflected FPCG’s desire to meet the changing needs of our congregation and of our community. We are alive, celebrating, and serving the living Lord, and we hope that you join us on this journey.