First Presbyterian Church

According to History of Mercer County, 1877

 The First Presbyterian Church, of Mercer, has a history connected with the Presbyterian Church of Cool Spring, from which it originated. The Cool Spring Church was organized in 1800, by Rev. Samuel Tait, who was its first pastor, and who preached in it until 1813, when, by some arrangement made at Mercer, the people of Cool Spring agreed to worship in the village, and the Cool Spring Church was practically disbanded, but reorganized, in 1827, on petition of the people. An extended account of the Cool Spring Church, and Mr. Tait, will be found in the history of Cool Spring township.

In the year 1804, the First Presbyterian Church, of Mercer, was organized with Rev. Samuel Tait as its first pastor, and a membership numbering twenty.

The First Place of Worship was in a room over the jail—a two-story building, which has since given place to what is now known as the Bank Block, on the north side of the public square. On pleasant days, open-air services were held in “Sample’s orchard;” that, then, occupied the square just north of where the Second Presbyterian Church edifice stands. After some time, a brick-church was built, just back of where the present structure stands; but, being considered unsafe, was abandoned after some years. Services were frequently held in the old court house and the academy building and, on communion occasions, in the grove of the grand old oaks, which reared their, heads aloft, above what was known as the “Tent Spring,” just south of the borough, to the left as we go south, near where the Butler road diverged from the road to Hope mills. There is a spring near the original one still known as the “Tent Spring,” but is not the same one which discharged its waters at the spot three-fourths of a century ago.

The present [1877] building is nearly half-a-century old, having been erected in 1830, but has since been remodeled, and greatly improved. Mr. Tait gave the whole of his time to this church, after January, 1826, and continued to minister to them until his death, which occurred June 2d, 1841, in the seventieth year of his age, and forty-first of his ministry. His remains are interred at the rear of the pulpit, where be so long had preached.

The second pastor was Rev. Joseph T. Smith (now D. D.). He was born and raised in Mercer, and ordained and installed April 20th, 1842, he was released April 18th, 1849, after a pastorate of seven years. At the same time, he was dismissed from the Presbytery of Erie to that of Baltimore, where he became pastor of the Baltimore Central Presbyterian Church,’ and still retains his position. He occasionally visits the home of his boyhood, and addresses the members of the flock from the same pulpit which came to know him so well during his seven years occupancy of it.

The third pastor was Rev. Robert S. Morton, who was installed September 10th, 1851, and released September 14th, 1852. He is now pastor of the churches of Little Beaver and Petersburg, Lawrence county, Pa.

The fourth pastor was Rev. Robert F. Sample, now D. D., who was ordained and installed October 18th, 1853; released May 7th, 1856. He is now pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The fifth pastor was Rev. John R. Findley, who was installed April 29th, 1857, and released about the first of February, 1874, after a long and successful pastorate of seventeen years. Mr. Findley is now [1877] pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Rock Island, Illinois.

The Rev. R. H. Van Pelt was called to the pastorate in the summer of 1874, but was never installed. He served the church in the relation of pastor-elect from October, 1874, to April, 1876, when he returned the call.

The following is a list of the ruling elders of this church, given in succession from its organization: Judge Alexander Brown, Adam Forker, John Alexander, Fergus Smith, Asa Arnold, ‘Squire Joseph Smith, Robert Stewart, John Young, Sr., Samuel Bowman, Elias Alexander, A. M. Barber, Jacob Zahniser, John Bowman, Joseph Fleming, Samuel Giebner, Edward E. Lachelle, William L. Fleming, S. R. Mason, John McKim, Thomas P. Grub, John D. Nickum, Adam Boston, and Alexander McCullough. The first four or five were ruling elders in the mother church of Cool Spring.

 History of Mercer County, 1877, page 106

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