Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville

Downtown Presbyterian Church, Nashville
Old First Presbyterian Church
The main façade of the church, showing Egyptian Revival details
Location: 154 5th Ave., N.
Nashville, Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°09′47″N 86°46′47″W / 36.1630°N 86.7798°W / 36.1630; -86.7798Coordinates: 36°09′47″N 86°46′47″W / 36.1630°N 86.7798°W / 36.1630; -86.7798
Built: 1849
Architect: William Strickland
NRHP Reference#: 70000608
Significant dates
Added to NRHP: July 8, 1970
Designated NHL: April 19, 1993[1]

The Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, affiliated with Presbyterian Church (USA), was formerly known as First Presbyterian Church. The church is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Church Street. As Old First Presbyterian Church it is designated a National Historic Landmark.

The congregation began worshiping at this site in 1816. The first structure burned down in 1832, and a second sanctuary was constructed the same year. The third (and present) sanctuary was constructed after a fire in 1848 destroyed the previous structure. The name was changed to "Downtown" after First Presbyterian moved out of downtown Nashville in 1955.

The present sanctuary was designed by William Strickland, who also designed the Tennessee State Capitol, in the Egyptian Revival style. Exterior design elements include Egyptian style lotus columns and a winged sun disk. Interior Egyptian style elements include stained glass windows, woodwork and perspective renderings of Egyptian scenes on the sanctuary walls. The design was commissioned during an era when archaeological reports from Egypt were being reported in western publications. The twin towers of Downtown Presbyterian Church are reminiscent of the twin towers of St. Stephen's Church in Philadelphia, the city that Strickland lived in before he moved to Nashville. Surviving drawings illustrate that he also designed Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, which was demolished in 1979.

Downtown Presbyterian Church is one of the few examples of Egyptian Revival architecture in the United States, and may be the best surviving ecclesiastical example. William Strickland also designed the second Mikveh-Israel Synagogue in Philadelphia in 1825 with Egyptian Revival elements, but it has not survived. Two other churches in the United States with Egyptian architectural themes have survived are the First Baptist Church of Essex, Connecticut, and the First Presbyterian Church (Sag Harbor), New York, also known as the Whalers' Church.

Several historic events and persons of note have been associated with this church. When Downtown Presbyterian was still known as First Presbyterian Church, President Andrew Jackson was a member. ("General" Andrew Jackson was presented with a ceremonial sword on the steps of the original church, after the Battle of New Orleans.) Tennessee Governor James K. Polk was inaugurated in the second sanctuary. The present church building was seized by Federal forces and served as a military hospital during the Civil War. It temporarily became Nashville's Union Hospital No. 8, with 206 beds. The church has continued to be used as a refuge by Nashville's citizens from floods in the 1920s, by soldiers during the Second World War and presently has an active social ministry to the less fortunate.

References

  1. ^ "Old First Presbyterian Church". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=985&ResourceType=Building. Retrieved 2009-06-30. 
  • Gilchrist, Agnes Addison (1950). William Strickland - Architect and Engineer 1788-1854. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. OCLC 926163. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • First Presbyterian Church — (and variations such as Old First Presbyterian Church or First Presbyterian Church and Rectory) may refer to: Contents 1 Canada 2 United States 2.1 …   Wikipedia

  • Downtown Church — Studio album by Patty Griffin Released January 26, 2010 Recorded …   Wikipedia

  • Nashville, Tennessee — Nashville redirects here. For other uses, see Nashville (disambiguation). Nashville   Consolidated city–county   From top left …   Wikipedia

  • William Strickland (architect) — William Strickland (Navesink, New Jersey, November 1788 Nashville, Tennessee, April 6 1854), was a noted architect in nineteenth century Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Nashville. He is noted as one of the founders of the Gothic revival movement… …   Wikipedia

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky — This is a list of the 88 sites on the National Register of Historic Places in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Map of all coordinates from Google Map of all coordinates from …   Wikipedia

  • Hobart Synagogue — Hobart Synagogue, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is remarkable both for being the oldest synagogue building in Australia and for being a rare example of the Egyptian Revival style of synagogue architecture. [ H.A. Meek, The Synagogue, Phaidon,… …   Wikipedia

  • Old Synagogue (Canterbury) — The Old Synagogue in Canterbury is considered to be the best example of an Egyptian Revival synagogue.[1] The earliest record of a Jewish community in Canterbury dates from 1160. The community is known to have been prosperous and to have traded… …   Wikipedia

  • Tennessee State Capitol — Infobox nrhp name =Tennessee State Capitol nrhp type = nhl caption = Tennessee State Capitol location = Capitol Hill Nashville, Tennessee nearest city = lat degrees = lat minutes = lat seconds = lat direction = long degrees = long minutes = long… …   Wikipedia

  • Egyptian Revival architecture — Egyptian Revival is an architectural style that makes use of the motifs and imagery of Ancient Egypt. It is generatlly dated to the enthusiasm for Ancient Egypt generated by Napoleon s conquest of Egypt and, in Britain, to Admiral Nelson s defeat …   Wikipedia

  • Mike Farris (musician) — Mike Farris Mike Farris performing at Antone s in Austin (2009). Background information Genres Blues rock (earlier) Gospel music (later) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”