Facade	Left Oblique	Left Elevation	Bell Tower Detail

The First Presbyterian Church began in 1855 as the mission church, Antioch Chapel, of Ebenezer Presbyterian. In 1869, members successfully petitioned for the organization of a separate church at Rock Hill, renaming the congregation the First Presbyterian Church. In 1875, the congregation completed construction of a new brick church. As the congregation grew, a new sanctuary became necessary. A committee selected prominent South Carolina architect Charles Coker Wilson to design the present sanctuary that was constructed in 1895. The design is a combination of a number of influences of the Late Victorian period, including elements of Romanesque Revival and Late Gothic Revival. The church consists of two major sections, the sanctuary and the educational building, built in 1922. The sanctuary has a polygonal central block with an octagonal roof capped by a cupola. There are eight gables projecting from this central block, five of which contain round stained glass windows which light the sanctuary. At the east corner is a five-story bell tower. The roof is slate. The interior utilizes the Akron plan with pews angled in a circular alignment to provide excellent site lines to the pulpit. The educational building, which extends to the rear of the sanctuary, was designed by Rock Hill architect A.D. Gilchrist. Listed in the National Register June 10, 1992.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Rock Hill, 1820-1935 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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