A brief history of
Central Presbyterian Church
History of the Central Presbyterian Church of Louisville, KY
Central Presbyterian Church today is a direct descendant of the early 19th Century First Presbyterian Church established in Louisville in 1816.
The First Church, also located on Fourth Street, burned in 1836 and was rebuilt in 1839 at what is now the corner of Sixth and Liberty streets. The Second Presbyterian Church was formed in 1830 by several members who had left the First Church. Later, the Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church was organized by members from both the First and Second churches, and a new building on the corner of Fourth and Chestnut streets was dedicated in 1847.
In 1866, the pastor of the Chestnut Street Church, Rev. John McKee, left to start a mission in a private home on South Third Street. Later that year the mission moved into a small building on the southeast corner of Fourth and Kentucky streets (the present location of today's Central Church) dedicated as McKee Chapel.
Meanwhile, the Chestnut Street Church, needing more space, erected a new building at Fourth and Broadway, dedicating it in 1876 as Broadway Tabernacle Presbyterian Church. In 1881, the name was changed to the Warren Memorial Presbyterian Church, in recognition of the cancellation of all indebtedness against the church which was held by Mr. W. W. Warren, a member.
In 1868, nearly two-thirds of the Second Church decided to leave the U.S.A. Assembly and join the Southern Assembly. The remaining members accepted, as part of the dissolution agreement, a lot and small building at Second and College streets. A new building was erected and dedicated the same year as College Street Presbyterian Church.
In 1878, a majority of the members left First Church and were invited to worship at McKee Chapel, which later that year changed its name to Central Presbyterian Church. (This was the "old" Central Presbyterian Church.)
In 1898, College Street Church united with "old" Central Church at Fourth and Kentucky streets and the combined congregation became the Fourth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
In 1957, Warren Memorial (which had survived four feet of water over its site during the great Ohio River flood of 1937, but was later severely damaged by fire) united with Fourth Avenue to form the present Central Presbyterian Church. The original Warren Memorial property at Fourth and Broadway was later sold and the proceeds set aside to create Central's permanent endowment fund.
