History of First Presbyterian Thru Early History of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta

Transcription

1 History of First Presbyterian Thru 1919 Early History of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta Revised December 6, 2016 Dr. J Sprole Lyons First Presbyterian The full version of these booklets will soon be available on the web. Contact Bill Lyons for information on how to access the site. This document remains a work in progress. Please send Bill your comments and suggestions for additions. Contact Bill to be added to a notification list of significant updates or for notification of plans for presentations based on this material. Any errors in this document are the responsibility of Bill Lyons. We hope that the material in this paper will make the history of our church, our windows, and the material held in our Archives, more accessible to our members and friends. Bill Lyons can be contacted at wwlyons@gmail.com or See the First Presbyterian web site or our web site SermonsInStainedGlass.com for more information. William W. Lyons. This material should not be used, copied, or reproduced without permission from Bill.

2 Table of Contents Introduction About This Paper Dedication Early Congregations near Atlanta Early History of FPC Five Buildings, Many Renovations Church Names Church Denominations The Beginning from 1848 to Early Members Atlanta became Atlanta - Twice Collection of References for Names Before Atlanta The Separation - Second Presbyterian Church becomes Central After the Separation in Pastors to Urge to Move Again Decision to Move Again The Path to 16 th and Peachtree - New Minister and New Location Arline Peffer, the Memory of the Church The New Church in 1915 and Plans for Windows Transition Time Joint Ministry from 1936 to The Lyons Personal Life in Atlanta Another Bill joins the team Sermons in Stained Glass Booklets Condensed Table of Contents for Full Paper Booklet 1 Introduction & History to 1919 Booklet 2 Stained Glass Windows Booklet 3 Plan and Design Booklet 4 Creating and Installing the Windows Booklet 5 Elements of a History Window Booklet 6 Handbook, Sanctuary, Organs, Crosses, Stone of Ephesus, Cartoons Booklet 7 Other Factors Booklet 8 Two Bill Lyons Booklet 9 Correspondence with Artists Booklet 10 Appendices A document describing Winship Chapel is also available. Please send Bill your comments and suggestions for additions. Contact Bill to be added to a notification list of significant updates or for notification of plans for presentations based on this material. Any errors this document are the responsibility of Bill Lyons. William W. Lyons. This material should not be used, copied, or reproduced without permission from Bill Lyons. Use for FPC purposes will be readily granted, but I want to be sure the latest updates are included and that no revisions are made without my review.

3 Introduction About This Paper This is the first booklet of a set (now a dozen booklets) which gives a brief history of how First Presbyterian Church came to 16th & Peachtree, tells the story of the creation of the stained glass windows, and tells the story in each window. Facts about the church history and details about the windows and history which were not in earlier documents are included. Dr. J. Sprole Lyons, the author s grandfather, came to First Presbyterian Church (hereafter referred to as FPC) in During his service of 28 years as Pastor and Pastor Emeritus, FPC moved from Marietta Street in downtown Atlanta to 16th and Peachtree Streets. He designed the stained glass windows, which he described as Sermons in Stained Glass, and supervised the installation of the first ten windows. Dr. Lyons left many notes about his designs and the meanings of the windows as well as correspondence with the three artists involved. In the 1930s, Mary Earnest (wife of John Earnest, an Elder) suggested that Dr. Lyons develop a handbook explaining the windows. Dr. Lyons began writing a series of statements about the windows. Many of these survive today. Three Lyons Pastor, Son, Grandson Dr. Lyons used the expression Sermons in Stained Glass very early in his writings. Extensive searching has not yet found an earlier use of this term. Some of Dr. Lyons comments about Mary Earnest are shown in the Handbook section of Booklet Six Three Bills Dr. William V. (Bill) Gardner followed Dr. Lyons as Pastor. During their joint service while Dr. Lyons was Pastor Emeritus, their extraordinary working relationship was impressive to all. Dr. Gardner was closely involved with Dr. Lyons in the completion of the windows. After Dr. Lyons death, the eleventh window was completed during Dr. Gardner s pastorate. Using papers prepared by Dr. Lyons and his own knowledge, Dr. Gardner produced a text only pamphlet describing the windows. Two almost identical versions of his pamphlet survive. Also, a booklet, A Century of Christian Life and Service, containing history and explanations of the windows with color images was produced for the 100th Anniversary. My father, William (Bill) Lyons Sr., served in many roles at FPC, including as an Elder, and on the committee for the East Window until his death. In reviewing Dr. Gardner s work on the window s pamphlet, he commented on the meanings of several windows and added some of the points his father had emphasized to him. Later, Dr. William (Bill) Pressly served as an Elder at FPC. Working from a history by Nellie Jane Gaertner, and Gardner s pamphlet, Dr. Pressly developed a series of presentations about the windows. His talks which were presented in the sanctuary survive in paper and audio forms (see Appendix B). Special Thanks Dr. George Wirth came to FPC as Pastor in The Rose window was installed during his service. He described and commented on the windows in his sermon series, Sermons in Stained Glass, in 1995, and he often William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Pri nted December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 3 of 28

4 mentions them in his sermons. He is responsible for the rebirth of the Archives & History effort and had been a continuous member throughout his almost twenty-three years of servive to our congregation.. In developing this update to our history and our understanding of the windows we have the benefit of the work of these people and many others. I have also recently found additional facts, letters, personal notes, and news reports which Gardner, Pressly and others did not have available to them. The effort to create this paper was initially inspired by the rediscovery of the presentations by Dr. Bill Pressly. My initial intention was to make minor updates to facts which were not available to Dr. Pressly, and add only slight extensions. I envisioned a small paper which could be presented in a small pamphlet similar to the style used in the 100th. As the process grew and became more rewarding to me, I found many additional resources which had not previously been available to us. This included many aspects of the history of our church as well as commentary and correspondence related to the windows. Now, late in my life, and having been given several reprieves, I am dedicated to bringing these sources together to present this most recent recounting. This has been a very meaningful experience for me. I hope that this resulting paper is interesting to you and others and will encourage you to join us for one of the series of presentations we will offer on various parts of this material. I appreciate the help and advice which so many have offered. Dedication This paper is dedicated to Dr. J. Sprole Lyons and Bill Lyons, Sr., my grandfather and my father. Also we are indebted to Dr. Bill Gardner, Dr. Bill Pressly, and Dr. George Wirth. All five are men of this church who served the church for many years and who worked diligently to celebrate the Sermons in Stained Glass. This document also benefits from the efforts of many other people. In the past, many pastors, church officers, and women of the church have written, collected, and preserved documents, many of which are still in our possession. Dr. John G. Earnest, and his wife Mary, were strong leaders of our church. He was an Elder who served in many roles. His wife, Mary, also served in many ways. It is Mary to whom Dr. Lyons gives credit for having given the impetus to his efforts to begin writing his notes about the origin and design of the windows. More detail about Mary s request is given in the discussion of Handbooks in another booklet of this paper. The resulting notes are a primary source for Booklet Two of this paper, Sermons in Stained Glass - Booklet Two which describes the ten History Windows and other windows. While the tradition of recording and preserving the history of our church and congregation may have declined in recent years, there have been significant efforts since our 100 th to contribute to our memory of history. The documents and activities of our 150 th and various more recent Founders Day events. are a significant example of this. At this time some efforts persist. The group now organized as Archives & History continues to work to collect, organize, and preserve both old and new records. We are hopeful that the fact that many current records are created in electronic format will soon enable us to begin to collect and preserve these records for those who 100 years from this time will look into the history of the church as we now are able to look back 100 and more years prior to our time. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 4 of 28

5 Many of those who made these contributions in the past were Elders and Deacons. Their collections of prior history and their documentation of current events serve us well today. Many women also made significant contributions, even before the time when they were allowed to be officers of the church. Their efforts resulted in a major portion of our records. Among them, the histories of Margaret Hoyt (her grandfather, father, and brother George all served as Elders), Miss Nellie Jane Gaertner, and the many Historians of the various women s groups are major elements of our archives. Since I am not an Elder of this congregation (I am a Presbyterian Elder and a son and grandson of this church), perhaps I can even better relate to contributions of the many women who were not officers or pastors. My opportunity to continue in the tradition of collecting and presenting the history of our church and our windows has been a major blessing in the final years of my life. Early Congregations near Atlanta As new settlers moved into central Georgia, ministers followed. New congregations were created. Some of the early congregations in and near the future site of Atlanta were: Founded Denomination Congregation 1823 Presbyterian Fairview, Georgia s oldest, still running, Presbyterian church 1825 Presbyterian Decatur (initially Westminster) 1831 Baptist Concord Baptist, Smyrna - between Marietta and the future Atlanta 1835 Presbyterian Marietta - renamed First c Episcopal St. James, Marietta 1846 Episcopal St. Phillip s - later Cathedral 1847 Baptist First 1847 Methodist Wesley Chapel - now First United 1848 Presbyterian Atlanta - soon renamed First 1849 Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 1858 Presbyterian Central - formed out of separation from First 1863 Episcopal St. Luke s It appears that the denominations which established congregations in Atlanta were, in sequence, first Episcopal (1846), then Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian (1848), followed by Catholic (1849). Three in the new city of Atlanta Three protestant congregations were formed in Atlanta by They share a common heritage from the Sabbath Sunday School (also known as Male Academy, Union Sabbath School, Sabbath Sunday School, and Atlanta Sabbath School). They are Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian congregations. There was no resident pastor and preaching was irregular. It is said that the first sermon here was delivered here by Rev. John S. Wilson of Decatur. Representatives of Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist denominations took turns using the structure. In June of 1847, the Atlanta Union Sabbath School was organized. Organizers included Robert M. Clarke, Edwin Payne, Alexander F. Luckie, and Allen E. Johnson. (Garrett I p 247). William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 5 of 28

6 Here is how they tell their story. All three celebrated 1848 as their 150 th Anniversary in 1998 (AJC, 1 Mar 1998, page G3). Wesley Chapel Methodist - Now First United Methodist The current web site of Atlanta First United Methodist identifies their origin as The Union Sabbath School. Their web site tells the story as follows: In 1845, a public spirited citizen by the name of Samuel Mitchell donated a lot of land to the Methodists. It was a triangular lot, surrounded by Peachtree, Pryor and Houston Streets. Here was built a small log house with a chimney at each end. It was a used as a school during the week and as a church on Sunday. An interdenominational Sunday school was organized, known as the Union Sabbath School. Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists held preaching services, each group alternate their Sundays to avoid conflicts. After using the log cabin for some months, the Methodists decided to build their own house of worship. They were the first denomination in Atlanta to take this important step. In 1847, the same year Marthasville was renamed "Atlanta" [actually, Atlanta was first given the name in 1845], a committee raised $700, of which $ was used to buy additional land on Peachtree Street. A first board of trustees was organized, and a large frame building, outstanding for that day, was constructed (pictured below right). This new chapel was named Wesley Chapel to honor John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and dedicated on March 24th, First Baptist According to Garrett, Vol. I, p 270, the earliest effort toward organizing a Baptist church in Atlanta was taken in January, In January, 1848,... constituted the First Baptist Church of Atlanta. Garrett gives the names of the sixteen original founders and Rev. Daniel. In 1854, the congregation had a separation similar to the one the Presbyterians experienced in Paul Miller in his Atlanta Capital of the South explains that nineteen members withdrew, not only because a large membership taxed the capacity of their church, but also the desire of the separating group to have musical accompaniment for their services. First Baptist traces their heritage to the site shared by the Presbyterians and Methodists. On their web site they tell the story this way David Gonto Daniell was sent by the Baptist State Convention to the tiny railroad town now known as Atlanta. He gathered 16 men and women together and First Baptist Church Atlanta was born. They met where they could find space, usually in a small one-room school house. In June, they dedicated their first church building on the corner of Walton and Forsyth in downtown Atlanta. Unfortunately, the building was heavily damaged during the Civil War, and many members were wounded or killed. Even still, the members trusted in God to provide a new building Because of Atlanta s growth, they were now surrounded by the business district and wanted to move to the suburbs north of Atlanta. They sold the Walton and Forsyth site for $81,000 and purchased a lot in the residential area across the street from the Governor s Mansion on the corner of Peachtree and Cain streets. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 6 of 28

7 The congregation moved to this current location, 4400 North Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA, in April. Atlanta Presbyterian - Now First Presbyterian Atlanta Presbyterian grew out of the same one room log building which has become known by many descriptions over the years. Garrett (G I 270) tells us of an early Presbyterian In Atlanta. He was Dr. William N. White, a schoolmaster and Presbyterian, who arrived in Atlanta in October, He quotes White s journal as follows (8 Nov 1847): I do not know what to do about my church membership. There are but two Presbyterians besides myself in the place, and our denomination is not very numerous in Georgia. There is a church in Decatur, six miles below here, but as I do not keep a horse it is not very accessible. There will be fine churches for the Methodists, and Baptists and Episcopalians and I hope before the end of the year enough of our denomination may come to form a church. On Sunday, 17 Nov 1847, Dr. White recorded: There was preaching in the city today, the first since I came to Atlanta. I heard Mr. Wilson, of Decatur, a Presbyterian minister. The Presbyterians began raising funds in 1847 and on 8 Jan 1848, as Dr, White was preparing to depart for Athens, nineteen Presbyterians banded together to form The Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. The story of Atlanta Presbyterian is given below. Dr. Wilson s Life Atlanta Presbyterian Church was formed on 8 Jan 1848, was led by a minister who was involved with the formation of 14 congregations during his career, according the genealogical records of his family. John Simpson Wilson was born 4 Jan 1796, in Pendleton District, SC, and died 27 March He is buried in Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta. He married Juliet Means who was born c 1800 and died 18 October They had four sons and four daughters. (See family genealogy for more detail). The Rev. J. S. Wilson of Decatur Presbyterian traveled to Atlanta to minister to Christians there. Various accounts say that he ministered on selected Sundays to a multi-denominational group, or to Presbyterians. Another account of this time states that there were only two Presbyterians in Atlanta. After being licensed on October 4, 1819, by the Presbytery of South Carolina, he taught school and preached for four years at Ruckersville (Elbert County), Ga. In 1824, he began pastorate work in Gwinnett County and continued for 20 years. During this period, he was pastor of Fairview Church, and projected and built up the Presbyterian Church at Lawrenceville. These churches greatly prospered under his ministry. For 15 years he was rector of the old academy of Lawrenceville. Dr. Wilson came to the pastorate of Decatur Presbyterian, which he organized, in He served Decatur until coming to First Presbyterian as Pastor in His life in those days is recounted in The Presbyterian Church in Georgia by Stacy as follows. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 7 of 28

8 The week was spent in the classroom, and the Sabbath in the church. On Saturday I went to my field of labor, preaching at night, then preaching twice on Sabbath, then returned home on Sabbath night and was in the schoolroom on Monday morning, often riding thirty miles amid darkness and solitude, having deep streams and dangerous bridges to cross, with no light save the lighting s glare, and no sound save the thunder s roar and the growl of the wolf. (Min synod 1873 p 14) Through Wilson s efforts, the Atlanta Presbyterian Church was founded in He served as Stated Supply until 1853, while still serving Decatur. In 1858, he was called as the full-time pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, a church which he had organized with nineteen charter members. Dr. Wilson was Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta until his death on March 27, He was eminently successful as a teacher, preacher, and writer. He educated hundreds of scholars; organized 14 churches (and other churches were formed by emigrations from his churches). He was sent as a commissioner to 11 General Assemblies, and was elected Moderator of the General Assembly in The Doctor of Divinity degree was conferred on him by Oglethorpe University in His active ministry covered a period of over 53 years. For 35 consecutive years he failed only once to attend Synod, and that because of severe family affliction. He attended presbyteries without number. When the Synod of Georgia was organized in 1845, he was elected Stated Clerk, and resigned only at his last meeting, in November One of Dr. Wilson s sons, a doctor, was shot during the Battle of Atlanta. As he cared for wounded. His greatgrandson, Dr. Charles A. Sheldon, was our organist from 1915 to From the history of Fairview comes the following: The other was Rev. John S. Wilson, Fairview s pastor and also the superintendent of the Lawrenceville Academy, the area s first school. In 1835 the Gwinnett Manual Labor Institute, a school for boys was founded. It was a farm of about 250 acres located near Fairview Church. Trustees for the school included Fairview s Reverend John S. Wilson, along with several Fairview members. The Lawrenceville Female Seminary, an academy to educate girls, opened in Reverend Wilson was once again prominent in the effort, serving as first president of the board of trustees. Later in 1838, Reverend Wilson moved to Decatur Presbyterian, where he served for twenty years, eventually leaving to become the founding pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 8 of 28

9 Five Buildings, Many Renovations Early History of FPC Here are images of the first three buildings in which our congregation worshiped. Since their time there have been newer sanctuaries and many enlargements and renovations. Our church has worshiped in five sanctuaries in three locations and many renovations. (Male Academy, Marietta I, Marietta II, Sunday School at 16 th & Peachtree, Sanctuary at 16 th & Peachtree) Male Academy - Sabbath Sunday School Our first worship location was in a shared log building, the Male Academy (referred to as Union Sabbath School in the Methodist history), near the present location of Peachtree and Pryor Streets in downtown Atlanta. Garrett reports the erection of a non-denominational church and schoolhouse in Of this building an article, Rare Old Papers, from The Weekly Constitution (Atlanta) dated 28 Nov 1882, page 3 says: Male Academy c1848 One of the first buildings which was successfully put under roof in the little clearing cut out in 1839 was a male academy, situated in what is now the junction of north Pryor and Peachtree streets. In this building the first sermon ever preached in what afterwards grew into Atlanta, fell from the lips of Rev. J. S. Wilson, a Presbyterian preacher of note, then filling the pulpit of the Decatur Presbyterian church. First Marietta Soon the first permanent sanctuary was erected on Marietta Street in 1852 [First Marietta]. The 1882 newspaper quotes from old papers as follows, it is proposed to erect a Presbyterian church in the town of Atlanta, of about the following dimensions: to be 50 feet long, 38 feet wide, 17 or 18 feet in height, windows, internal arrangements, etc, after the plan of the Decatur church." The paper goes on to comment What presumption it was in these Atlantians [as spelled in paper] to attempt rivalry with Decatur architecture! But such is the course of the world. The Constitution of 6 April 1919 states that the lot was donated by Reuben Cone. Some references state that the property was purchased for $300. First Marietta 1852 Garrett reports slightly different information (G I 547), He cites $300 paid to Reuben Cone for the property (some reports describe this as gave ) and $4,200 for construction. He describes the building as 70x40 feet in size with a basement for a Sunday School. He describes a gallery for an organ over a vestibule and a belfry in which no bell was ever placed. This building was damaged in the war in After the war Central Presbyterian welcomed our members to use their facility until the damage was repaired by William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 9 of 28

10 Second Marietta First Marietta was replaced by a larger facility [Second Marietta], at the same location in The architect, W. C. Smith, Esq., of Nashville, TN, architect of Vanderbilt University was selected as architect for a larger building (Marietta II). Original plans and details have not been found but a document, c 1900, shows a floor plan similar to the plan we we later had for many years. More information about this is found in Booklet Six. An article in the Constitution of 5 Dec 1915 reports Second Marietta was erected by Cook & Stewart. The Manual of 1878 reports a contract of 17 July 1877 for $32,000 for this building. Unfortunately, primary records of the earliest years of our history were lost. Fortunately they have been replaced in part by the Rare Old Papers mentioned above. Over time confusions have crept in about names and facts. In this document we have tried to correct a few, and identify others. 16 th and Peachtree - Two buildings, both still exist Second Marietta 1879 In 1910 the congregation renewed an on and off process of deciding where to move and when. In 1915, the first service at 16 th and Peachtree was held in a space which has served many functions over the years. This building served as a sanctuary from 1915 to 1919, when the present sanctuary was completed. The original room where services were held now serves as the Berean Room and the Reception Room. No picture of this first phase of the building has been found. On 5 Dec 1915 the first service at 16 th and Peachtree was held in a two story Sunday School room with a balcony. The room has served many purposes. The balcony has now been removed and the ceiling lowered and the room serves as The Berean Room and as the Reception room. In 1919, the present sanctuary at this location was dedicated. We have not found a picture of the building which was completed in The picture on the cover is of this fifth building in recent years. A description of the design of this sanctuary, written by James L. Doom in 1979, is included in Booklet Six of these documents. An article in the 6 Apr 1919 Constitution state that the main floor was designed to hold 850 persons with the balcony holding 150. The total capacity could be brought to 1250 through the use of folding chairs. Since the dedication of the present sanctuary in 1919, there have been many enlargements and renovations. Church Names First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, began its existence in 1848 as The Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Often the name First Presbyterian is used by the first Presbyterian church in a location, before others exist. In 1854, the General Assembly of the State of Georgia designated the church as First, it being the only Presbyterian Church now in said city. See the later section Atlanta Presbyterian became First - Twice? for more discussion of this. It is perhaps more common in Presbyterian circles than in some others to have churches named Second, Third, Fourth, etc. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 10 of 28

11 A personal note, my uncle, Rev. John Sprole Lyons, Jr., was pastor just prior to the First World War at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC, a church which to this day still proudly calls itself Fourth. Atlanta Presbyterian Churches - First thru Sixth For Atlanta there is mention of Presbyterian churches with names of First through Sixth. FPC had some involvement in the formation of all of them, which is summarized here, and chronicled in more detail elsewhere. [As you will see there is some uncertainty about some of these facts. Various histories contain seemingly conflicting scenarios. If you have any records or information which shed more light on any of this, please pass them on to the author of this paper.] First, was formed as Atlanta Presbyterian, and then became First through action by the state in Our histories have previously recorded this name change as resulting in Second, formed by members separating from First, was quickly changed to Central. Third, became Moore Memorial in 1891, named for W A Moore, Elder of First Fourth, formed out of First, became Druid Park in 1909 and then Druid Hills in 1914 (some histories say Westminster also evolved from Fourth in 1901 as a result of a disagreement). Fifth, became Wallace in 1889, named for an Elder of First. We have also found a mention of a Sixth with no details. Barnett, named for the pastor of First, apparently the end of the numbered churches. Could this be the mysterious Sixth? Many other churches were organized with the support of members of FPC. These records can be found in many places including A History of the Presbyterian Church in Georgia by James Stacy, published in Also in Talmage, Story of the Presbytery of Atlanta, published in A report by the Archives & History Committee in January 2010, describes some of these. Church Denominations In earlier years the Presbyterian church had many separate denominations. In 1870 there were thirteen branches of the Presbyterian Church (Weekly Constitution, 19 April 1870, page 3). These are shown in the order they appear in the article. The big four were: Reunited Cumberland Southern United The smaller, chiefly of Scotch origin are (my history teaches me that they should all be considered of Scots origin) (number ministers, number churches): Old Side Reformed (Covenanter) (80,80) New Side Reformed (Covenanter) (55,60) split into two by the expulsion of Mr. George H. Stewart William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 11 of 28

12 Associate Synod of NA (13) Associated Reformed Synod of the South (68) Associate Synod of North America (13) Associate Synod of New York (11) Declaration and Testimony (Missouri) Old School (Missouri) Now, for all of you who can count, yes I am a mathematician among other things, so here it is: Number Thirteen A recent organization in Charleston, SC, whose name is not reported. The first person to send me the name of the thirteenth, with a valid source gets a free printed copy of this paper, and a free one year access to my blog. In May 1913 a joint gathering of four General Assemblies was held in Atlanta (Story of the Presbytery of Atlanta, Talmage). The United Presbyterian Church held its meetings at Central. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church held its sessions at the local Associate Reformed Church (corner of Whitehall Street and Whitehall Terrace). The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Met at the Baptist Tabernacle. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.) Met at North Avenue. Dr. Lyons, then of Louisville, served as U. S. Moderator. It is unclear if there were other wings of the Presbyterian Church in existence at the time. This leads to a story by my grandfather. For twenty-two years prior to coming to Atlanta, he was the pastor of First Presbyterian of Louisville. In the same town were two other Presbyterian churches. He is reported to have told this story: There are three Presbyterian churches in this town. Across the way is the United Presbyterian Church. Next to us is the Reformed Presbyterian Church. We are simply the First Presbyterian Church, neither United nor Reformed. The Beginning from 1848 to 1914 When Dr. William N. White, a Presbyterian, arrived in Atlanta there were few Presbyterians present. On 8 Nov 1847, he recorded in his journal There are but two Presbyterians besides myself in the place and our denomination is not very numerous in Georgia. (G I P270) The following was recovered from Rare Old Papers: These papers are yellow with age, and are the olden authentic documentary witnesses of what was transpiring in early Atlanta. The first, a piece of white foolscap. a paper now gone out of use, recites that. "On the second Sabbath day of December, 1847, preaching at the male academy in Atlanta by the Rev. J. Wilson, as a supply for the Presbyterians of said city, and on said Sabbath an appointment was made by the Rev. J. Wilson. for all the members in full communion in the Presbyterian church to assemble themselves at said academy, on Saturday, the 8th day of January, William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 12 of 28

13 Thus, the Presbyterian Church of Atlanta (FPC) was founded on 8 Jan Atlanta had just been officially designated as Atlanta (for the second time). Dr. Wilson, who had taught a group of several denominations during periodic visits. At the time he was serving as pastor of Decatur Presbyterian and had previously been involved with Marietta Presbyterian. In December 1847, a decision was made to form a Presbyterian church. Early Members Our histories have recorded the our congregation was founded by nineteen members. We have identified these as our Founders and celebrate their names regularly. Recent research has led to a better understanding. Some names seem to have been mistakenly recorded and then repeated often enough to take on their own reality. Some of these errors are corrected in this Booklet and others. Also important is the identification of those clearly involved from the beginning who may not have been present at the signing of the now lost document. Among these are the husband of one Founder who served as an initial Elder and in other roles. We are working to identify these people and document their lives in another document. Nineteen Signers The nineteen who signed their names on 8 Jan 1848 were: Boyd, Margaret and Keziah Brockman, Ruth A. and Henry Caldwell, Charlotte J. (C. J.) Cone, Lucinda Davis, Jane and James Fraser, Julia M. L., and H. A. Gill, Jane Houston, Anna L and Oswald Kelsey, Diana and Joel Norcross, Harriet Thompson, Mary A., Joseph, and Miss Mary J. Charlotte J. Caldwell who is found in the 1858 list in our oldest surviving session book is assumed to be the C. J. Caldwell who signed the original list. Other Early Members The following are other very early members, some of whom may have been present at the time of the signing. An example is Reuben Cone, husband of signer Lucinda Cone, who was an original Trustee in early Cone, Reuben Glenn, John Hayden, Julius A Healey, Thomas G. Luckie, A. F (or O. F.) Markham, William McGinley, G. T. Pitts, Joseph Rhea, John Robinson, James Robinson, George Shumate, Berryman D. Atlanta became Atlanta - Twice Our church history has always shown that the congregation was formed on 8 Jan 1848, shortly after Atlanta was given the name Atlanta. The date for the formation of the congregation appears to be correct, but the history of Atlanta is far more complicated. Atlanta was a very new town in The first permanent white settler to build a home on his own land in what is now... Atlanta was Hardy Ivy who arrived here in 1833 (Garrett, Vol I, page 115). Less than fifteen years later, the nineteen Founders of the Presbyterian Church of Atlanta formed our congregation. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 13 of 28

14 How, and when, did this area get the name Atlanta. My father was an Elder at our church. Before coming to Atlanta, he graduated from Princeton, served in World War I, and received his law degree from Harvard. He became a lawyer and was expert in title law. He believed that the area now known as Atlanta was first called (in the language of the native Southern peoples) Big Creek flows into Large River. Reed s History of Atlanta, 1889, tells us that De Soto came through this area as he marched to the West, but he did not seek to colonize. The Cherokee native Americans were here at the time. Later other European descendants came to this land and wrested it from the Cherokees. It is well documented that the area had an old native American name meaning Standing Peachtree. Some report that peach trees actually grew in the area in those days. I have found no evidence for reports that the name Peachtree is derived from a place called Standing Pitchtree. I can only assume that this is simply an often repeated speculation. Garrett quotes an interview with Wash Collier in which he seeing a peach tree on top of the huge mound at that location (G I 9). The explorer, de Soto, is thought to have explored this area, but I could not find any reference to the name he may have used. A book offered by the Atlanta History Center about the history of Atlanta says that Atlanta was founded in This date is certainly not actually associated with the name Atlanta. A Georgia Historic Marker, dated 1992, is found on Marietta Street near the location of our churches there. The marker gives another slight variation on this history. Unfortunately, no records can be found of the research on which this marker is based. A larger photograph of the marker can be found in our Archives & History room. Apparently, the first name given to the Atlanta area after the settlements of the new people was Whitehall. Names followed in this sequence: Deanville, Thrasherville, Terminus, Marthasville, and Atlanta (twice). Six (or seven) names by my count. If you find more, please pass them on. Atlanta actually received its name first on 15 Oct 1845 by the local Postmaster. He reversed his action on 22 Dec 1845 just before the legislature took its action on 26 Dec Finally, on 31 Jan 1846, the Post Office got back in line. Garrett covers this in G I , where he also gives versions of this history from Richard Peters and Joseph Thompson in Collection of References for Names Before Atlanta There is some conflict between these reference which were found in different sources. No wonder even the Atlanta History Center got it wrong. 1833, The first permanent white settler to build a home on his own land in what is now... Atlanta was Hardy Ivy who arrived here in , On June 9, 1835 the federal government established the White Hall Post Office in the area. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 14 of 28

15 1836, March 9, the Utoy Post Office on Sandtown, now Cascade Road was established. (Garrett I p 139) 1837, Colonel Abbott Hall Brisbane, Chief Engineer of the W&A Railroad named the area Terminus in September, , With the arrival of the railroads at this point of confluence, in 1837, the site became a gathering point for a few workers. In 1839, Cousin John Thrasher began a settlement called Thrasherville for his workers who were working on the embankment for the railroad which became the Western and Atlantic. 1842, this railroad was completed to a point near a little post-office named White Hall, but later named Terminus. 1842, The name Terminus, never official, was adopted and between 1837 and 1842 the area also had been called Deanville (for Lemuel Dean) and Thrasherville (for John J. Thrasher). 1842, December, the locomotive Florida makes the first run from White Hall to Marietta. It had been hauled in on a horse drawn wagon because there was not yet a rail connection at either end. Prior to 1843, the names were all unofficial. On 23 Dec 1843, the area was officially incorporated as Marthasville for Martha Atalanta Lumpkin Compton ( ), daughter of Governor Wilson Lumpkin. Interesting stories have been found about Martha Lumpkin s middle name. Some suggest that she had Atalanta added to her name after the city was given the name. 1845, The name was changed from Marthasville to Atlanta by act 109 of the Georgia General Assembly which was approved December 26, 1845 and signed into law December 29, Whitehall was also changed to Atlanta at the same time. There are several stories about how the new word Atlanta was created, and who was responsible. One source carries a reasonably specific story that the name Atlanta was created by an engineer associated with the Western and Atlantic using elements of Martha s middle name and Atlantic. 1847, On December 27, 1847, the state legislature incorporated [again] the town as Atlanta. 1848, On January 8, 1848, Atlanta Presbyterian was founded. When Decatur had been established a few years earlier the minister of the Presbyterian church there was Dr. John S. Wilson, an uncle of Woodrow Wilson. Dr. Wilson had also been involved with earlier churches in Fairview, Marietta and elsewhere. He came over to preach from time to time to the people here in Atlanta. In 1848, immediately after Atlanta got its new name again, he led a group of 19 in founding the church in a small log building which served as the Male Academy at the corner of Peachtree and Houston Streets. The church was founded as the Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Atlanta Presbyterian became First - Twice? In 1852, the Atlanta Presbyterian moved to a new sanctuary on Marietta Street where the congregation remained until In 1854 the church was incorporated by the General Assembly of the State of Georgia. as First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, it being the only Presbyterian Church now in said city 1 by the General Assembly of the State of Georgia. John Glen, Oswald Houston, Julius A. Hayden, James Davis, Joel Kelsey, George Robinson, and William Markham acted as incorporators. 1 Georgia Laws , Bill No. 213, Page 279, cited in document of June 4, 1957 William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 15 of 28

16 Some earlier histories have identified 1858 as the initial official use of First for our church. It now appears that this was based on an erroneous reading of the imprecise record of the Presbytery action in 1858 (see below). As described above the name First had been applied earlier by the legislature. The Presbytery record seems to offer an explanation for the incorrect interpretation. The Presbytery findings read in part as follows: That when the contemplated division shall have been effected, the parties retaining the present church building shall be known and recognized as the First Presbyterian church... of the city of Atlanta. Difficulties involving selection of a new pastor who had not been approved by the Presbytery may have led to this action in the State General Assembly. It is also possible that the state action was related to the incorporation, mentioned above, of a Board of Trustees for our congregation (an unusual body in the Presbyterian structure). This phase is often not mentioned in our early histories. The Separation - Second Presbyterian Church becomes Central In 1857, our congregation, now First Presbyterian, faced a divisive situation, the seeds of which had been planted early. All the reasons are not clear. A variety of reasons are suggested by various sources. An offhand comment by one of our recent historians suggested attitudes about slavery as a primary cause, although he stated he had no evidence of this. A recent history of Central (Lehfeldt p 7) states There is no evidence to support the myth that Central was formed because its members were anti-slavery. An earlier historian explained that the problem was related to the political leanings of the pastor. Whatever the cause, the congregation split in 1858, and a portion of the members formed another Presbyterian church which the Presbytery named Second Presbyterian Church. Presbytery declared that the surviving church would continue to be First, which was the name previously used by the State Legislature. The new church did not want to be Second, and quickly received approval to change the name to Central Presbyterian Church. Three of the original members of FPC left to join the formation of Central. They were presumably among those in favor of moving to the Washington Street area, where many members resided and where the Central sanctuary was soon built. Recently found records seem persuasive in explaining the reasons for the divisive situation which caused the separation. Several mention the North versus South tensions which were building. Another involves the practice of allowing those who had paid for their pews to vote, even though they were not members. Remember, the times were different then. A recently found history by Elder George B. Hoyt (probably written in the 1930's) gives another insight into the separation. He reported that some members had moved to the Washington Street area (near where Central is now) and wished to move the church there. Others were moving out Peachtree Road and did not want the church to remain downtown. James Stacy in his early book published before 1923, A History of the Presbyterian Church in Georgia, gives these details. He tells us that the story begins with the decision not to choose Dr. Wilson as the pastor, but to select a younger man, Rev. J. L. King. A factor in this decision may have been the inability to reach an agreement with Decatur for a greater portion of Wilson s time. When this led to difficulties, Rev. John E. DuBose was installed as pastor. This soon led to a petition from the church to change from the Presbytery of Flint River to that of Cherokee. DuBose was younger than Wilson. Stacy explains this as having to do with two parties in the church, one Northern and one Southern coupled with the fact that the new pastor was intensely Southern in his feeling (a native of South Carolina), and could William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 16 of 28

17 not give satisfaction to all parties. Stacy describes this as an issue of Old School and New School leanings in the congregation. Stacy goes on to explain an issue concerning worshipers at the church, not members, but pew holders, and who as supporters of the church, claimed the right to vote for the pastor. Stacy cites a query presented to Presbytery as follows: In churches where it has been deemed advisable to rent seats to non-communicants, or such persons who do not submit to the censures of the church, does the fact of renting their seats in the church entitle such persons, constitutionally, to vote in the election of a pastor independently of any rule or ordinance in such churches? (Min. P. 156). Stacy s book also explains the names First and Second and the feelings of a jealous eye which persisted until Dr. G. B Strickler came to serve Central and Dr. E. H. Barnett came to First ( ). As a result of the ministries of Barnett and Strickler, the two congregations celebrated a shared 50 th anniversary in The two congregations were re-formed and on 21 Feb 1858, fifty-seven members formed the new First Presbyterian Church (1878 Manual p5). Reports vary as to the number of members who left First to join Central. A Central history (Smith p 116) gives a list of forty-one members in 1858, but does not clarify whether they were founders or later members. Three were from our 19 Signers. Garrett gives a list of 38 (G I 439). Garrett says that 57 persons remained to be First, but does not list the names. After the Separation in 1858 In 1859, following the separation, Dr. Wilson again became the Stated Supply and then Pastor of FPC. Unfortunately some early records of the church which he was carrying out of the war zone were lost. The recently found an article Rare Old Papers, mentioned earlier, summarizes early records which survived in the hands of a surviving founder and later his wife. Wilson was widely regarded as a splendid minister and was here throughout the war years and until his death in During the War Between the States in the 1860's, the sanctuary was damaged temporarily beyond the point of use, though not destroyed as had been ordered by Sherman. The Union Army, in its policy of laying waste as an example to the defeated, planned to burn the entire city as it left. The history of the Atlanta Catholic Church describes an agreement to leave five churches, which included Central Presbyterian but did not include FPC. A sad story of the War is that Dr. Wilson s son was killed in the streets while trying to tend the injured. Apparently, Union soldiers refused to obey the orders to burn the building. Their names have not been found. Perhaps some historian can help us find them in the records of the war. Following the devastation and wanton destruction of the war, Central Presbyterian permitted the congregation of FPC to use their sanctuary for services until our sanctuary could be repaired. I would like to express our appreciation for their actions to their families. Dr. Wilson s successor was Dr. Joseph Martin who remained until In 1879, a new church building replaced the older one on the same site. The Marietta site was located where the Federal Reserve Bank later stood. First Marietta had cost $4,200 to erect. It was described as a very neat looking classical building, built on the style of the Decatur church. I. W. C. Smith of Nashville TN, architect of Vanderbilt University was the William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 17 of 28

18 architect for Second Marietta which cost $36,000. It contained a floor layout similar to the present sanctuary. No evidence of this floor plan in the Decatur church has been found. Second Marietta served FPC until Early in 1898, the congregations of Central and FPC held shared celebrations of their 50 th Anniversary, which seems to attribute Central s date of origin to be the same as ours. Today there is some controversy about this. Newspaper records of the time record the simultaneous, shared anniversary services. The shared celebrations were apparently influenced by the healing spirit of our pastor from 1883 to 1898, Dr. Barnett, who died soon after the celebration. However, it is interesting to note that later, in 1948, when FPC was jointly celebrating our Centennial with our sister churches from the Male Academy days, First Baptist and First Methodist (in a joint service at First Baptist according to the Atlanta Constitution Jan. 4, 1948), Central apparently was no longer dating their history to It would appear that some of the feelings which had existed prior to 1898, had returned. Pastors to 1914 Much of the following information is from Portraits of our Pastors which was published by the Archives Committee in January Portraits of each of the pastors are in our Portrait Hall. John Simpson Wilson, Stated Supply , Founding Pastor, served as Stated Supply shared with Decatur. After the Separation he was called as full time Pastor and served until his death in John Elias Dubose, Stated Supply 1854, Pastor Dissatisfaction by a segment of the membership with the strong Southern heritage and leanings of Dubose is mentioned by Stacy (see references) as one of several possible elements of the decision for a group to leave FPC and form Central in Following the split, DuBose left and Wilson, who had not been selected in 1853 was called. The issue of the separation in 1858, is discussed further in the preceding section. John Simpson Wilson, Pastor Founding Pastor Joseph Hamilton Martin, Pastor Edward Hammet Barnett, Pastor Richard Orme Flinn, Stated Supply Left FPC with Mrs. High and 100 members (some references give a larger number) to form North Avenue in Charles Percy Bridewell, Pastor Walter Lee Lingle, Pastor Hugh Kelso Walker, Pastor Seven Pastors over 66 years, an average service time of about nine and one-half years. Urge to Move Again As the year 1900 approached, the area of Atlanta around our location on Marietta Street was quickly becoming industrialized and homes were moving, mostly north. Several churches were moving closer to the homes of their members where the poor roads and horse and buggy transportation would not be so limiting. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 18 of 28

19 In 1898 Richard Orme Flinn briefly became our Stated Supply. Quickly, Dr. Flinn, with one hundred members of our church, left to form North Avenue Presbyterian Church. It was so named for being on the town side of North Avenue, the new northern boundary of the city. A major contributor to the formation of this new church was Mrs. J. M. High, whose name is mentioned several times in these booklets. It is unlikely that she returned to FPC. She was the donor of the Advent window shortly before her death. Most of the congregation remained and secured a new minister, Dr. Bridewell, who served until In 1907, the congregation called Dr. Walter Lingle who left in 1911, to became a Professor at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Dr. Lingle returned many times to visit and to preach, including the evening service on the 100 th Anniversary in The final minister prior to the move to 16 th and Peachtree, Dr. Hugh Kelso Walker, remained only two years, leaving in By 1910 discussions of moving the church intensified. A location within the city at Peachtree and Baker Streets was identified and eventually rejected. Soon a proposal to move further out to the present site at 16 th and Peachtree began to gain favor, although hard times and cautious people extended the decision process. Decision to Move Again This story of the decision process involved in moving to a new location is told in A Church on Peachtree, our 150 th anniversary book. Such a move had been contemplated as early as 1910, when it was suggested that the church sell its Marietta Street lot and buy property at the junction of Peachtree and West Peachtree near Baker Street, then available for $40,000. [This location in what is today known as downtown is far from the location ultimately chosen, which was at that time far beyond the city limits. North Avenue had already been created farther out than Baker Street.] No decision was made, however, and six months later, the price of the lot had been raised to $75,000. Two years later, the congregation authorized the Board of Trustees to buy the vacant lot at the corner of Peachtree and Sixteenth Streets from S. M. Inman, chairman of the board. The cost of the property was just under $50,000. The decision process continued to struggle along with greater intensity. After four distinct plans for acquiring the money were proposed and rejected in 1913, a fifth plan was proposed by which funds would be raised through subscriptions from church members. The building Committee accepted the fifth plan in April [The process of attracting Dr. Lyons to accept the challenge in Atlanta was also now underway.] It is not known what role the decline of the church at the old location and the troubled decision process may have influenced the turnover in pastors, or how the turnover may have influenced the decision to move. A recently found summary of Trustees minutes, New Location for the First Presbyterian Church, which includes historians notes sheds more light on the events of these times. It addresses events in the period of 1910 to It tells that on: May 19th, 1912, a congregational meeting of the First Presbyterian church of Atlanta authorized. the Board of Trustees of the said church to purchase from Mr. S. M. Inman the Lot of Land. on the north-east [should be north-west] corner of Peachtree and Sixteenth streets, in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, for church and manse purpose. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 19 of 28

20 Further: On November 28 th [1913], a Committee of Thirty-Five (consisting of the officers of the church and two or three others) met in Judge Newman s office to consider these various plans. Feeling confident one of these plans would materialize, they formally adopted the plan for the new church which the Building committee presented through their Architect, Mr. Downing. Actually, a decision to move had been announced prematurely on the front page of The Atlanta Constitution of 1 May This was perhaps the most publically visible of the many efforts to reach a decision to move. The New Location document is the first mention we have of the role of W. T. Downing, a noted Atlanta architect, who designed many Atlanta homes and churches. Unfortunately Downing died in 1918 in a tragic accident before he could see this design completed. At the time, Mr. Downing estimated that the building would. cost about $100, New Location continues: The last of March [1914], Dr. Walker, having received a call to California, the church was again renewed to activity looking toward moving out to Peachtree and. Sixteenth Streets, hoping that a guarantee to move would constrain Dr. Walker to decline the call to California. The Path to 16 th and Peachtree - New Minister and New Location In 1914, the congregation finally faced the limitations of its poor location and determined to begin a new era. The session and congregation had been considering plans to move for several years. Decision time was here, in spite of the economic problems and on-coming war. Elder George B. Hoyt writes in his history: By 1914, the territory surrounding our church had become all business, and it was necessary to move to a new location. The church was decreasing in numbers and usefulness. Dr. Lyons was asked to come to be pastor with the avowed purpose of moving the church to a new location. Not a member was lost in the move. Dr. Lyons had already held the highest offices in his denomination during 28 years of service, and was completing 22 years as Pastor of First Presbyterian of Louisville, KY, which was avoiding facing a similar need to move. After Dr. Lyons left, First Presbyterian of Louisville soon closed. John Sprole Lyons was born in Tazewell VA on 8 Feb His father was Jonathan Lyons who came to our country with his mother and two older brothers in Jan 1827, at the age of eleven. Jonathan worked and studied and graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in He worked as a home missionary and stated supply in several places. In 1857, after marrying Nancy Ann Alexander in 1856, he took the position of pastor for Tazewell Presbyterian Church. He died in JSL graduated from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, and was ordained in He was pastor for Lawrenceburg (KY) Presbyterian until While there he married Wallace Lillard in He then served at First Presbyterian in Mt. Sterling, KY, and Springfield Presbyterian in Bath, KY, during Next he served First Presbyterian in San Antonio, TX, in In 1892 he returned to KY to serve First Presbyterian in Louisville until 1914, when he came to Atlanta. During this time he served as Moderator of Synod in 1904, and Moderator of General Assembly in 1913 (in Atlanta). He came to First Presbyterian in Atlanta in 1914, and served as Pastor until During his final years of William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 20 of 28

21 service as Pastor Emeritus, he remained in daily involvement with church activities and participated in weekly services. He remained on the payroll of FPC (at a lower salary). Dr. Lyons died in 1942 after 28 years of continuous, active service to FPC ( ). His total career of active service, from ordination in 1883 to his death in 1942, spanned approximately 59 years. Here is a portion of the story as told in a sermon by Dr. Wirth. He quotes a letter dated April 26, 1914, sent to Louisville, Kentucky. My Dear Dr. Lyons: I wired you of the actions of Session in requesting you to come and confer with us about accepting the call to our church. The time of your coming was left to your convenience. The action was unanimous, hearty, earnest and cordial. We want God s will in this matter and believe that your visit will make it clear. We are raising $50,000 (for the new sanctuary). It is a right large undertaking to raise that amount in cash by June 1 st - we now have in sight $43,500 and are still pushing. I will be delighted to have you stay with me while here, and extend a very cordial invitation to Mrs. Lyons and Sprole to come with you. Margaret joins me in this invitation and sends love to Mrs. Lyons, Sprole and yourself. Affectionately, Willie ( Willie was Elder William R. Hoyt and a cousin of Dr. Lyons through his mothers family. He will be mentioned elsewhere including in the discussion of the Pentecost Window.) Dr. Lyons agreed to come to Atlanta and begin a new career at the age of 53, with the understanding that the church would move and build a new sanctuary. This was not the end of the process of decision and redecision. The give and take of several critical decision points in the next few months are chronicled in our records. Five months after the letter was written by Willie, Dr. Lyons was installed as pastor of this church. In 1939, the Pentecost Window in the center of the south wall of the sanctuary was installed. It was a gift in memory of Samuel and Elizabeth Hoyt, and it was given by the same Elder William R. Hoyt (the Willie mentioned above) and the members of his family. The recently found New Location summary mentioned above continues: 0n June 22nd, 1914, Dr. Lyons met with the Committee for the first time, having been called as Pastor. Architect Downing explained the plans very fully to Dr. Lyons, and on the whole he expressed his approval, advising that the building be completed as planned. 0n July 6th Dr Lyons again met with the Committee; at his suggestion a session room was added to the original plan, and some other valuable changes suggested. Architect Downing thought that he would have detailed drawings ready for the Contractor August 1st. 0n July 30th, Mr. E. B. Miles met with the Committee, and he was requested to make estimates of cost as soon as the architect had finished his detailed drawing. 0n August 11th, Mr. Miles presented his estimate of the cost to be $82, William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 21 of 28

22 Troubles were not over. The summary continues: And: 0n September 2nd, the Building Committee met in Mr. Ansley s office. On motion, Mr. W. R. Hoyt was added to the Building Committee. After some discussion as to the unsettled business conditions, it was decided. to hold the entire matter of church erection in abeyance. The Building Committee met again in Judge Newman s office, September 21st [1914], with nearly all members present. S. W. Carson, Chairman, meeting with the Committee for the first time since his serious illness. The Pastor was present, and Judge Newman met with the Committee by invitation. By request, Dr. Lyons spoke at some length, and urged the Committee to proceed. at once with the erection of the Sunday School Room. Other members of the Committee spoke along the same lines, stressing the necessity of taking a forward. step. By unanimous consent, it was decided to build at once the Sunday School part of the plant, provided Messrs. Inman, Lowry and English would each loan $10,000 and take a mortgage on the old plant. As you will see, progress moved quickly from this point. Ground was broken at the new site in December 1914, and the first service was held in the new Sunday School Room on December 5, Downing s building was finished less than four years later, which he did not live to see. At the time this is written, the Sunday School Room which served as our fourth sanctuary is now our Berean Classroom and Reception Room. Dr. Lyons commented that one of the advantages of the new location was that there was no other church within a mile of the location. It is unclear how this assessment relates to Tirst Church of Christ, Scientest, which is now just down Peachtree. Arline Peffer, the Memory of the Church When Dr. Lyons came to Atlanta, a friend from Louisville soon followed to become his secretary. Arline Peffer was born 19 June 1895 in Louisville, KY. She served in many roles for our church, but perhaps her most memorable characteristic was her long standing of being the memory of the church, having a reputation for remembering almost everyone and everything. A podium dedicated to Arline stands in the hall outside the sanctuary. A plate on the podium notes that it is was given in her honor and says that she served the church for over fifty years. (This is later given as 51 years. Both of her names are misspelled on the plate.) Arline died in Atlanta 12 September 1970 at the age of 75, fifty-five years after she is known to have begun her service at FPC. I have not been able to determine exactly when she arrived in Atlanta. She is first found in the earliest bulletin we have for Dr. Lyons, 30 October The Session established the Arline Peffer Memorial Fund in her honor. Arline was perhaps the longest serving employee in the history of our congregation. The 27 Sep 1970 bulletin states that she served 51 years. Peffer Podium Arline was a loyal assistant for my grandfather. In January 2011, as I prepared for my first presentation in this new series about the windows, I went searching for a podium. I remembered that one had always stood in the hall, but I did not remember it s history. When I found it, I learned that it was Arline s podium. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 22 of 28

23 What a blessing for me to know that this wonderful woman had also come to my support. How I wish that I had interviewed Arline after we returned to Atlanta. How incredible it would be to have access to her memories! The New Church in 1915 and Plans for Windows In summary, FPC purchased property at 16th and Peachtree and ground was broken in December One year later, in 1915, the first service was held here, in the room which over time has served as Sanctuary, Intermediate Classroom, the Berean room, and the Reception Room. The Berean Bible Class, at the time considered a men s class, was founded by Dr. Lyons. The present sanctuary was dedicated in According to a history by Margaret Hoyt: Dr. Lyons had visited the cathedrals in Europe and from them he and the architect, Mr. Downing, planned the auditorium of the church, and he and the Tiffany Studios planned the great windows. The architects designed the auditorium with the present twelve window spaces (and three others), five on each side and one at each end. Dr. Lyons developed a plan for the windows and the Session approved. Dr. Lyons had seen many of the great churches in Europe and our country, and studied their windows, during his travels. He wanted a style with more realistic colors and more realistic looking people than the usual Renaissance style. He also preferred an artist with whom he could work closely in order to obtain the detail and style he had designed. Also, close proximity to an artist in this country was more appealing than the remote communication overseas. Examples of this are presented in the discussion of the windows in Booklet Two. The plan of the sanctuary provided for seating of 1,250, 1,000 in pews and 250 in folding chairs. The earliest found plans for the building, dated 30 Oct 1916, show the architects as W. T. Downing (identified as the architect in most references) and E. C. Wachendorf as Associate Architects. Downing died before the structure was completed. The earliest plan for the windows (undated - before 1918) shows the initial thoughts for how the twelve window spaces designed by the architect could be used. (This is shown in appendix A) This original plan was followed with several evolutions in naming and two significant changes. By 1921 it was decided to replace the Crucifixion Window with the Passion Window (the thoughts concerning this will be discussed later). It was also decided to include the Resurrection Window. In order to provide for this two initial windows, Paul Preaching and Mission - Christ s Charge, were combined into the window which ultimately became called Christian Missions. The final order of the windows had been established, with minor changes in naming conventions evolving over the years. Louis Comfort Tiffany was selected to produce the windows. He had established Tiffany Studios Ecclesiastical Department to produce stained glass windows. He was the son of Charles Lewis Tiffany. In order to obtain the special glass which made his windows unique Tiffany used special techniques to incorporate mineral impurities which finer glass lacked. When the material for this glass was no longer available, he established Tiffany Furnaces to produce his own supply. As Tiffany approached his declining years he closed the Furnaces in The rest of his commissions were assembled using left over glass. In 1932 Tiffany Studios filed for bankruptcy and Tiffany died January 17, William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 23 of 28

24 The year 1919 was a busy time for FPC. When the new sanctuary was dedicated all the windows were installed with plain translucent glass. One week later the baptismal fount was dedicated (see a Booklet Six for more information about the fount, crosses, organs, gardens, etc.). Two weeks after the sanctuary dedication, on April 20, 1919, the first stained glass window was installed, and the first Sermon in Stained Glass was delivered. On Easter Sunday in 1922 the first broadcast of a complete church on radio was done by FPC and WSB radio. Transition Time By 1936, Dr. Lyons was completing 53 years of service as a minister (ordained in 1883), 22 at FPC. He was 75 years old. Six windows had been completed. Efforts to have Tiffany create the East Window had not been successful. His second wife of 14 years was growing frail (she died that year, 24 November 1936). His eldest son who had been disabled in WWI, and his son s family, needed care. Dr. Lyons was active in many areas of the church and community outside FPC and he needed to make arrangements for the transitions of these responsibilities. The windows, the passion of Dr. Lyons later years, were incomplete. The country was deep in the midst of the never ending Great Depression and world war was again on the horizon. This seemed to make progress on the windows impossible. How could all of this be handled? Dr. Lyons needed to focus his strength. He concluded it was time to retire and give the church the opportunity to bring in a younger minister. He did this with the plan to remain active to complete the windows and that is what he did. He announced his intention to retire, and helped the church to find a successor. Joint Ministry from 1936 to 1942 Dr. Lyons actively served our church for 28 years, first as Pastor from 1914 to Then he remained active until 1942 as Pastor Emeritus, during which time he completed the installation of the remaining four of the ten windows on the floor of the sanctuary. His total active service as a pastor to FPC lasted 28 years and stands as the longest serving active pastor. He served the Presbyterian Church as a minister for 59 years. After becoming Pastor Emeritus Dr. Lyons remained in the church as an active participant with the new Pastor, Dr. Gardner. Both of them and many others described their relationship as a remarkable partnership. Dr. Lyons priorities included the completion of the windows, but he involved Dr. Gardner at every step of the way. Dr. Gardner wrote: I was Pastor of the church where he was Pastor Emeritus, for four of those six years, there was rarely a day that he did not come to my office. For four years he was with me in the pulpit each Sunday morning, giving the invocation one Sunday and making the pastoral prayer the next. Without exception, he was the most effective man in public prayer I have ever known. To hear him ascribe glory, majesty and dominion to God was magnificent. He had an exceptional command of the English language. Once I asked him the source of this. His humble reply, King James Version. Of course, he was a man of deep prayer life. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 24 of 28

25 It is interesting that Dr. Gardner never heard Dr. Lyons deliver a sermon. After becoming Emeritus, Dr. Lyons did preach often for several years, but only when Dr. Gardner was absent. At the dedication of the final four History windows, Dr. Lyons gave the Dedication Address, and Dr. Gardner gave a talk on The History and Theme of Our Windows. No sermon was delivered. I presume this distinction was made in order to maintain the protocol that the Emeritus did not preach in the presence of the Pastor. Following his retirement, the completion of the History Windows was foremost to Dr. Lyons. His strength was still sufficient to the task. Despite the continuation of the Great Depression (unemployment in 1939 was still above 17%) and the growing threat of war in Europe, the commitments of loyal families to the completion of the windows was steadfast. The Harrison, Woodruff, English, and Hoyt families stood by their financial commitment to the finsl windows. A new artist, D Ascenzo, was selected and the final four windows were installed by February 1940, prior to the declaration of our entry in World War II. At the time of Dr. Lyons death in 1942, the windows were said to be complete (at ten). No suitable design for an East Window had been found from either Tiffany or D Ascenzo. As told in a statement by Paul Fleming and Owen Perry (found at the end of this booklet), the membership of the congregation was 400 when Dr. Lyons arrived. By the time of his death he and Dr. Gardner had seen the membership grow to over The Lyons Personal Life in Atlanta When Dr. Lyons responded to the call to serve FPC, he already had strong ties with Atlanta. He had many cousins here and had served here in several roles with the church, most recently as Moderator of the General Assembly in Several of these families still worship and serve in our church. On 8 October 1919, soon after the dedication of the new sanctuary, his first wife died. The Lyons had been at the church for five years. After the completion of the first group of windows, he married his second wife, Mrs. Anna Wooley Daniel, on 4 August His sons had both volunteered to serve in World War I. His older son, J. Sprole Lyons Jr., had become pastor of Fourth Presbyterian in Greenville in Sprole Jr. served as a Chaplain in the war and received debilitating injuries, including gas attacks. After the war he returned to Fourth Presbyterian where he served again until 1923 when his injuries forced him to retire. His younger son, my father, William W. Lyons (Sr.), had graduated early from Princeton and served as an artillery officer and instructor in France in World War I. He graduated from Princeton and was training at Fort McPherson in Atlanta at the time of the Great Atlanta Fire of His diary tells of fighting the fire, sitting atop a home at Ponce de Leon as the distributor of the buckets of water from a bucket brigade. 21 May 1917, Monday (Fort Mc):... when they called for us to fill our canteens and fall in with them and bayonets. It was just a few minutes after four. Within ten minutes we were on cars on our way to Atlanta, with the whole camp following. We were going to fight the biggest fire Atlanta ever had. We landed in Atlanta at Five Points at 4:20, got buckets there and started hiking. We reached the fire zone on Ponce de Leon before five o clock. From there on until after twelve we were constantly on the go. We were at Ponce de Leon and Lakeview and with the aid of two hoses and some dynamite and a slight change in the wind, our company (the?? from now on) stopped the fire there. I did a little of everything, such as straddling a roof squirting a hose on it, slinging buckets in a bucket brigade, handling a fire hose, sentry duty and looting milk out of refrigerators. We were relieved by Co. 11, came up to the junction of the Peachtrees to wait for William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 25 of 28

26 cars and finally got back to camp about two. I forgot my headache completely as soon as I hit town. After returning from the War, my father received a degree from Harvard Law School and took a position in Washington DC. He soon moved to Atlanta to join a partnership which later became Haas, Lyons, and Hurt. At FPC he served in many roles. He was a team leader in the Every-Member Canvass which his father began and he served as President of Men of the Church. After his father s retirement he became an Elder. Dr. Lyons had spent a year on sabbatical in Europe in After WWI he returned to Europe again briefly for the Red Cross. My father married Alice Whipple on 4 May 1926, and they initially lived at 1166 Orme Circle, not far from the church. Soon the family included my two older sisters. In the early 1930's the family moved to the northern end of Boulevard (now Monroe Drive), where I was born in My brother, John Sprole Lyons III, was born there in He became a Presbyterian minister, attending Columbia Seminary, which our grandfather had helped to move to Atlanta before becoming Chairman of the Board. When Mrs. Dr Lyons died the congregation decided to install the Christian Missions window in her memory. This was a change in the plan and it was the second window installed. On 24 November 1936, his second wife, my Grandmother Anna, died shortly after his retirement. The process of completing the final four of the history windows began and the final window was installed 25 Feb In August 1941, our family moved to Garden Hills where my younger sister was later born. A room in the house was outfitted as sleeping quarters for occasional overnight stays by my grandfather, who had become very infirm by that time. Earlier he had moved to a home in Decatur where my uncle and his family (wife and two daughters) had come to join him. My grandfather occasionally would not want to make the long trip home after visiting with us. My uncle, Dr. Lyons older son, died 21 December My father suffered a series of heart attacks which ultimately took his life in My father, his mother, and his brother all died at the age of 52. My father served on the committee for the East Window until his death in The design which was approved by his committee appears in another Booklet. The window, as installed, differs in several details from the design. Another Bill joins the team In recent years another Bill rejoined the team. The author of this and several other documents returned to FPC where he had been active until leaving Atlanta for service in the United States Air Force in Returning to Atlanta in 1965, he and Tallulah, who he had met one Wednesday evening at FPC in 1953, were active at Northwest Presbyterian where Bill served as an Elder. They returned to FPC after they returned to Buckhead and their children went to college. William W. Lyons Windows Section One Early History Printed December 6, 2016 (2:19pm) Page 26 of 28