In the Beginning. . .

   In 1809, a Princeton, Indiana, settler named Samuel Hogue visited his native state of Tennessee where he contacted a young minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the Rev. John Kell.  He asked Rev. Kell to visit the new settlement of Princeton on one of his missionary journeys. 

   In the fall of 1810, Rev. Kell arrived in Princeton and at that time Mr. Hogue and Mr. Thomas Archer joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church, and with their families, constituted a “Society” for prayer and religious conversation. 

   When Rev. Kell again visited in the spring of 1811, Mrs. Hogue and Mrs. Archer also joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church.  On his third visit in the spring of 1813, the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was observed in the home of Mr. Robert Archer, the father of Thomas, with 20 present.

   In 1816, Rev. Kell was called as the stated supply pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Princeton while he continued working as a traveling missionary.

   In 1820, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Princeton erected a small frame building on Prince Street just south of the present Broadway Christian Church.  This was the first house of worship to be built in Princeton.  At that time the Rev. John Kell was called as their first pastor and served the congregation through September, 1838.

~Original Building–Our Sanctuary ~

   In 1836, the “Old Brick Church” was built and served the congregation until 1857, when our present building was erected at the corner of Prince and State Streets.  That original building is our sanctuary today and is the oldest Protestant church building in Gibson County.

  In 1897, a major enlargement and renovation of our building was completed by the gift of Mrs. Eliza Woods Hudelson who also funded the building of the manse in 1908.

   A devastating fire on Feb.1, 1937, destroyed the organ and part of the north wall of the building.  Heat and water damage to the interior destroyed the grand piano, the ceiling lights, and required all plaster in the ceiling and walls to be replaced and the pews refinished.  Miraculously, all repairs were made, a new organ and piano installed, and the sanctuary was returned to pristine condition in just six months to be rededicated August 1, 1937.

   On June 5, 1960, we dedicated the new educational building which was added to the north side of our church building. 

   In 1964, the sanctuary was completely redecorated and a major renovation of the building exterior was completed.

History in brief . . .

   Our church cemetery, Archer Cemetery, the oldest in this area, was established in 1817 by a gift of one acre of ground by Robert Archer.  Additional land was added in 1863.

Our Sunday (Sabbath) School, established in 1833, is believed to be the first in Indiana to teach only Christian education.  The textbooks were the Bible and the Presbyterian catechisms.

The first pipe organ in Princeton was installed in our church in 1895.  From “lining out” the Psalms to a tuning fork in 1853 to a reed organ in 1886, Presbyterians finally accepted musical instruments in the church.

     In 1870, the congregation left the Reformed Presbyterian denomination to become part of the United Presbyterian Church of North America. Through reunions with other Presbyterian denominations in 1958 and 1983, we are today a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA).