First Presbyterian Church

The "first" First Presbyterian Church church was built in 1877 on land donated by Mr. & Mrs. S.G. Roberts. The Reverend R.C. Stevens was the first minister who served until 1882 and was succeeded by Reverend A.H. Newell. That first church was sold to Mr. P.T. Tendick who moved it to 3rd Avenue and 11th Street North and remodeled it into a duplex.

The "second" First Presbyterian Church (shown above) was located on the northeast corner of corner of Eighth Street and First Avenue North. The 1893 Fargo City Directory states the church's membership to be 100 at the time with Rev. G.R. Pike, pastor.

In the 1910 postcard on the right, the viewer is facing east looking down First Avenue North from Eighth Street. Directly behind the church is the Post Office. The YMCA building can be just seen in the lower right. The 1908 postcard on the left shows the entire church.

The "third" First Presbyterian Church is located at 111 Seventh Street North. It is a Scottish Gothic Revival stone church. It was dedicated in 1930. It can be seen in the 1936 postcard below. The church bulletin (generously provided by Greg Hunt) is dated just two years after the new church was dedicated.

It is reported that the first religious service in Fargo was held in 1871 by Reverend Oscar H. Elmer, a Presbyterian missionary minister from Moorhead. It is said that the promise of free liquor after the service motivated attendance. Note that the First Presbyterian Church was not involved in the historic incident.