In the beginning

Prior to our church and a little-known fact is that in 1766 there was a Presbyterian minister by the name of Charles Beatty who was travelling with a military detachment to the Tuscarawas Valley providing services for the troops.    

The first Presbyterian minister who preached at New Philadelphia, Ohio with any degree of regularity was the Rev. Jonathan Leslie, who was commissioned by the General Assembly Board of Home Missions to labor here and at other points several years before 1828. In December of 1828, he was followed by the Rev. Charles Birge, who was sent to Ohio by the American Home Missionary Society on the advice of Rev. J.B. Morrow of Canton, Ohio he came to New Philadelphia where he preached for about a year. Two years later in 1830, the Presbyterian families of the village petitioned the Board of Home Missions to find someone to fill the position until 1831 when Rev. Morrowwas released from his charge in Canton. He remained in New Philadelphia until September of 1835 when the church was organized in Dover.

After dividing his time between Dover and Sandyville for five years, Rev. Morrow returned to the people of New Philadelphia in April of 1840, preaching here and in Uhrichsville. Within a few weeks "it was deemed advisable that an attempt be made to organize a church." A meeting was held on June 25, 1840, and a number of persons were received into membership of the church. Two days later, having publicly adopted the Confession of Faith..

David English and Thomas King were elected elders December 15, 1840 and ordainedon January 10, 1841. In April of 1841 the church was taken under care of the Wooster Presbytery. With shifting boundary lines over the years, First Presbyterian Church hasbeen a part of six different presbyteries: Wooster, Coshocton, Steubenville, another Wooster, and the Muskingum Valley.

The Rev. Morrow supplied the congregation until his death on July 30, 1842. After a year without a pastor, Rev. T.M. Finney was called to be the first installed pastor on April 29, 1844. He served until 1849. His successor was the Rev. George S. Inglis, who served as pastor from November of 1851 until April of 1853.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand" was proven in the ten-year period between 1853 and 1864. In that interval a division occurred in the church, but a reunion was achieved in 1864. The Rev. C.J. Hunter was received as Licentiate from the Presbytery of St. Clairsville. He was ordained and installed as pastor on April 15, 1865. In 1870 he resigned to pastor the newly organized church in Dennison, Ohio.

The first church edifice, which served its people for eighty- one years, located at Lot 190, East High Ave, was built in 1841 and was dedicated on December 24, 1842. The lot was donated by Thomas Sargent to be the property of the church so long as it was used for church purposes. A provision was made that the lot would revert to the legal heirs in case the building was removed. The church was repaired and a Sunday School room was added in 1873 at a cost of $6,000.00. In 1903 it was again repaired, redecorated, and a pipe

organ installed.

The present church building was erected under the leadership of the Rev. M.G. Hanna in 1922 and dedicated in 1924. Of particular interest are the stained-glass windows of Favrile glass which are located throughout the sanctuary. They were designed and constructed at the Tiffany Studios in New York City. The window that illuminates the scripture of Jesus blessing the little children was given in memory of Elizabeth Jane Knisely (October 3, 1915 - June 30, 1920). It bears the signature of Louis Comfort Tiffany.