First Presbyterian Church (Buffalo, New York)

Inside, the pews were square and were lit by candles supplied by the worshipers in the evening, at the west end of the building was a platform for the singers.

The wooden frame structure remained next to the new Brick Church until it was sold to the Methodists in 1828, which moved it from the corner of Pearl and Niagara Streets; they had been using an even smaller building.

This little building saw successive service thereafter as a school-house, a tenement and as a cooper's shop, before it finally fell completely from grace to become an icehouse for a brewery.

An imposing, square red structure, trimmed in immaculate white, with a balustrade around the roof and a clock and bell tower surmounted by a golden ball that blazed in the sunlight, it served as a landmark for mariners on Lake Erie.

Entrance to the church was through three large doors that opened into a high, spacious vestibule with circular stairways on the right and left that led to the upstairs gallery or balcony.

Directly across from the center entrance was the middle door into the high, square, well-lit sanctuary that for many years was an unpainted white.

Anyone entering the church came through one of three great doors opening into the spacious vestibule, and visitors walked up the circular stairways at either end to the balcony around three sides of the high, square sanctuary.

On each side of the pulpit that was on the west wall there were biblical passages that through close examination of existing interior photographs from 1877 and 1885, reproduced below were determined to be from the old King James Version.

Before the building was razed, the bell was presented to a church in Tonawanda, New York, and the front clock face was preserved before the property was sold to the Buffalo Savings Bank.

Funding was obtained through a subscription project and by January 1854 over $100,000.00 was raised, by April plans for a new building were selected and bids were advertised.

Mr. Sykes, the organist at Central Presbyterian Church, played for the opening anthem, "Praise the Lord" and to close the service, "Old Hundred".

When in 1891 after the congregation moved to its present location, the organ was sold and the same builder relocated it to St. Stephen's (Shrine of Saint Jude) Roman Catholic Church at 193 Elk Street in 1891.

began his tenure as pastor, many members had moved from the central part of the city and had thus transferred their membership to other churches which became a cause of real concern.

However, as the city expanded, a large number of members had moved uptown, many of these families who formerly worshiped soon joined congregations closer to their homes, leaving Old First Church without proper financial support.

Dr. Mitchell wisely shared the view of his predecessor, in that the church should seek a location not so hemmed in by ever-growing businesses that had taken over the area.

In 1887, Mrs. Truman G. Avery who lived at the site now occupied by Kleinhans Music Hall donated a parcel of land across the circle at the corner of Wadsworth and Pennsylvania Streets in memory of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen G. Austin.

In 1887, following a much publicized period of discernment and debate concerning moving the congregation away from Shelton Square, Mrs. Trueman G. Avery, a faithful member of the congregation who lived at the site now occupied by Kleinhans Music Hall, donated a parcel of land across the circle at the corner of Wadsworth and Pennsylvania Streets in memory of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen G. Austin.

Following a well published design competition the winning design by the architectural firm of Edward Brodhead Green & William Sidney Wicks stood out from the other three finalists, it was noted for its Romanesque exterior, Byzantine-revival styled sanctuary and tall central tower that would dominate the skyline of late 19th century Buffalo through the present day.

Francis L. Patton, D. D., President of Princeton University, which was the Alma Mater of the pastor, Dr. Samuel S. Mitchell, who would, following his retirement in 1904, return there for a year to lecture on the English Bible.

Henry Elliott Mott, pastor at Central Presbyterian Church, acted as moderator; the installation sermon was preached by the Rev.

Samuel Van Vranken Holmes, senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church; the charge to the congregation was given by the Rev.

During the Pan-American Exhibition of 1901, Theodore Roosevelt worshiped at the First Presbyterian Church, both as vice president and following the assassination of William McKinley.

It was during Dr, Raymond's tenure as pastor that on February 2, 1912, the church celebrated its centennial in style, with the sanctuary decorated for the occasion with ropes of green garland, touched here and there with red and white flowers and the dates 1812 and 1912 adorning either side of the chancel.

This required the sanctuary spaces to be closed from September 11 through October 12 forcing the congregation to worship nearby at the State Normal School at the corner of Jersey and 14th Streets.

On November 5, 1931, Dr. Ralph B. Hindman was installed as pastor and because of the economics of the times; the church was forced to give up the mission of Welcome Hall following the retirement of Rev.

In 1949 because of concerns voiced by parishioners in the main sanctuary that the noise made during the children's services was disturbing worship, the chapel was redesigned, this included reorientation of the chapel chancel, replacing the pews, enclosing the staircase to the sanctuary balcony, changing the lighting fixtures and replacing the glass windows with special dedicated stained glass windows.

With this church, which stood on the north-east corner of Summer St. and Richmond Ave. additional gifts for expansion became available; this was realized in 1968, during the pastorate of Dr. Arthur W. Mielke, D.D.

This instrument when dedicated was known as the Noehren organ until 1986, following Squire Haskin's untimely murder a few days before his retirement celebration was to commence.

Dr. David R. Bond, who was Squire Haskin's hand-picked successor assumed his duties a few weeks earlier than was expected, and has been organist and choirmaster since that tragic event.

Following the sudden death of Dr. Mielke's first wife Hazel on April 1, 1973, funds were raised for a memorial cross to be erected in place of the Tiffany chandelier.