First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church is a Michigan historical marker in Coldwater, Branch County, dedicated 1987.

Branch County · dedicated 1987 · 52 Marshall Street, Coldwater

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Organized in 1837, the same year that Coldwater became a village, the local Presbyterian society held services in various quarters until 1844, when it erected its first church. It completed the present Romanesque Revival-style brick church in 1869 at a cost of $40,104. The 185-foot steeple, one of the highest in southern Michigan and the chief landmark of the city, was made possible by a gift from S. M. Seedy. The Meneely bell came from West Troy, New York, in 1853. In early times, the church often served as a lecture and concert hall. Sojourner Truth, former slave and early women's rights activist, spoke here in 1877.This church building is now the oldest in the city still in use by its original denomination. In 1986 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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Marker data: Michigan History Center
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More markers nearby

The City of Coldwater, 1861-1961under 1 mi
Michigan Library Associationunder 1 mi
H. C. Lewis Art Gallery / Masonic Templeunder 1 mi
Branch County / Branch County Courthouse Siteunder 1 mi

On the National Register nearby

First Presbyterian Church90 ft

Places within about 300 feet of this marker that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nearby listing is not always the marker's own subject.