Tim Hanlin – FPC Member and Board Member & Docent of Greensboro History Museum
As part of our bicentennial, during the month of January we will be celebrating First Presbyterian Church’s continued relationship with the city of Greensboro. The church was founded only sixteen years after Greensboro itself was established, and since that time FPC has been the spiritual home for many of the city’s most prominent individuals. The FPC cemetery is the resting place for the men and women who made major contributions to the city including two US Congressmen, two mayors, and several state representatives, as well as doctors, lawyers and civic leaders.
FPC’s first sanctuary was built in 1832, making it Greensboro’s second house of worship (the West Market Methodists beat us by a year). The second sanctuary served as a hospital during the Civil War. The third sanctuary was our church home until 1928. That building was then renovated and turned into a community center that included the Greensboro Library, the Greensboro History Museum, the Red Cross, the Community Chest, and other organizations. These days the entire building is occupied by the History Museum, standing as a wonderful legacy for both the church and the city.
During the month of January we are celebrating that history. On Saturday, January 11, from 11 am to 3 pm, the Museum will host a Traditions of the Triad for kids to learn about the Scottish background of the Presbyterians who forged this community. On Sunday, January 12, at 2 pm, there will be a special tour of the museum with emphasis on its connection with FPC. At 11 am on Wednesday, January 15, and Saturday, January 18, there will be tours of the FPC cemetery behind the History Museum, where we can recall the contributions of past members of our church. Please come join us for these events.
We hope that during this month you will take pride in all that members of FPC have done historically to shape our city. Beyond that, we hope that this serves as a reminder to you that our faith is not something that we hide behind the walls of our sanctuary. It is something to be carried out into the world with us.
