On October 29, 1842, three weeks after the city streets were laid out by William Clark, brother of George Rogers Clark, the Reverend Wheeler Campbell met with a small group of people in the home of his brother, Judge James Campbell, and founded the First Presbyterian Church of Paducah. Judge Campbell and G. A. Flournoy were elected ruling elders. Services were held in the homes of the members through the winter and then in McCracken County Court House for approximately five years.

The first church building was erected in 1848 on South Third Street near Kentucky Avenue. The first service in the new church was the funeral of the Reverend Campbell. He was only 45 years old and was buried beneath the sanctuary. He was later moved to Mt. Kenton Cemetery.

The second church building was completed in 1888 on the present site at Seventh and Jefferson. Forty-four years later, on the night of January 29, 1932, that building was destroyed by fire.

The present building, built on the same site, was designed by the Memphis architect George Awsumb in the Oxford Gothic style and constructed of five kinds of rubble stone with a roof of Vermont slate. Classic stained glass windows, depicting prominent biblical characters and many of the furnishings were memorial gifts from members. The hand carved wood in the chancel was imported from France. Dedication services were held on December 3, 1933.

An educational wing was added in 1958 featuring a fellowship hall and dining area, a kitchen and classrooms. A cloistered walk connects the new addition to the church proper and encloses a garden court planted with memorial gifts of dogwood trees and azaleas. In 1975 a carillon was contributed and in 1985 the twenty-four rank Casavant Freres pipe organ was installed.

Behind the church sits the Buddenbaum House, reported to be one of the oldest houses in the city of Paducah. It was restored by members of the church and currently serves as office space for the Bellewood Homes for children.

Mission efforts of this congregation have been recorded as follows:

1853 - The Jersey Mission, 3rd and George Street and Mizpah Mission - Mizpah Presbyterian Church, 1357 South 6th Street.

1924 - The Brown Street Mission - Calvary Presbyterian Church, South Beltline.

1954 - The Forest Hills Presbyterian Church, Lone Oak Road & Highland Blvd.

1969 - Forest Hills, Mizpah, and Calvary merged to form the United Central Presbyterian Church, in the Mizpah building on South 6th.

One of the city's first weekday kindergartens was held in this church from 1959 - 1970. Keys, an after-school tutoring and enrichment for elementary school students, began in 1987 and continues today.

Twenty ministers have served First Church in its 155 years. Its leadership has stood in the community as a symbol of those worshipers who seek
to know Him and make Him known.

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
OF
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

One of the first things many visitors to our sanctuary comment upon is the beauty of the church's stained glass windows. Those of us who worship here regularly can appreciate their interest for the windows of the sanctuary possess a grace and loveliness which deepen with familiarity and exposure. Because these windows are so rich in symbolism, a description of each is given, in the hope that we may all become more familiar with their richness of meaning and beauty.

The use of stained glass windows dates from at least the Middle Ages and, as was the case in the great Gothic cathedrals, our own windows tell a story. Beginning in the northwest corner, the windows of the west wall highlight the story of the people of God in the Old Testament. Beginning in the northeast corner, the windows of the east wall do the same for the New Testament.

One of two observations about the general appearance of the windows is in order. The manner in which the main figures are portrayed is that of the "medallion" style common during the middle Ages. Above and between each pair of large representations there is a third frame in the shape of a four-lobe figure called a quatrefoil. This symbolism is roughly that of a cross. The figure in this third small frame is usually related in some way to the story told in one of the larger two below.

To see images of the windows please click on the window names below:
(The files are quite large, so will take a while to open.)

West Wall	East Wall
Moses and Abraham	Mary and St. John, the Baptist
David and Ruth	St. Andrew and St. Phillip
Prophets Daniel and Isaiah	St. Peter and St. Paul
Prophets Hosea and Amos	St. Thomas and Mary Magdelene
	St. James and St. John
South Wall
The Four Evangelists