Central Presbyterian Church - Russellville Downtown Historic District - Russellville, Arkansas - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Central Presbyterian Church of Russellville, Arkansas, was organized January 29, 1871 as a Cumberland Presbyterian congregation by Reverend Collins J. Bradley, Sr. Charter members were: John L. Torrence, Thomas H. Hamilton, George W. Walker, Thomas J. Russell, Alva Russell, Eliza Walker, Susan M. Russell, Mary Ann Russell, Ann Russell, Mary Pruitt, Martha A. Hamilton, Mary F. Hamilton, and Malissa D. Hamilton. Mary A. Russell donated the site for the first building at what is now 600 West Main Street.

December 30, 1872 minutes of the session show that a building committee was appointed to "raise funds and superintend the construction of a house of worship." The next reference to the building is in the minutes of the session for August 11, 1874 which says "The Session met in the church house."

The first reference to number in the minutes of the Session is for the meeting of December 17, 1885, at which time church membership was 100.

In 1899 the present site of Central Presbyterian Church was acquired and a brick building was erected there. The first services were held in the late July of 1900. Church membership at that time was 114.

May 24, 1906 the General Assembly, meeting at Decatur, Illinois, declared a union and reunion with the Presbyterian Church USA. October 2, 1906 the session adopted a resolution to abide by the ruling of the highest church court. Some members and some churches did not agree to this action and remained Cumberland. October 1, 1907, 18 non-unionists names were dropped from the church roll.

January 1, 1908 fire starting in the Central or Buck Hotel spread to the Central Presbyterian Church which had been erected during the pastorate of Rev. J. H. Curry at a cost of about $10,000. The church building which was destroyed, was covered by $4,000 insurance with $1,000 on fixtures. Many of the fixtures were saved although the organ was damaged by rough handling. The session met immediately and appointed a building committee and a soliciting committee to rebuild on the same site and virtually the same plan. Services were held in the Opera House at first. April 16, 1908 Washburn Memorial Presbyterian Church, a U.S. Church (Southern Church) which was without a minister invited Central Church to hold its services at Washburn Church. This invitation was accepted and apparently the arrangement lasted until the church was rebuilt. The Courier Democrat for December 24, 1908 announced that Christmas Eve services would be held in the new building and the December 28 meeting of the session was held there. This meeting of the session authorized the Nominating Committee to put the names of all members on committees. There were 116 names on this list. Rev. M. G. Millagan, Jr. was pastor while all this took place.

The Courier Democrat for October 12, 1911 announced that the Washburn Presbytery (U.S.) and the Fort Smith Presbytery (U.S.A.), which had the same boundaries, had decided that in many towns which had both churches, the churches would unite and belong to the presbytery of the stronger church. At that time Church had 190 members and Washburn Presbyterian Church had 54 members. Washburn Church, which had no pastor, held a congregational meeting and voted to join the Fort Smith Presbytery with one dissenting vote. Presbytery action was taken in the third week in October. In a follow-up article, October 19, 1911, the Courier Democrat said that the two churches will meet as one next Sunday with the Washburn property to be disposed of and the money used to build a manse for the combined churches. The same article announced that next Tuesday a reception would be held to welcome "the brethren of the other church." T. B. Hartman was pastor of Central Presbyterian Church at this time.

Late in 1924, it was decided to build an addition to the church. At this time, the membership of Central Church was 373 and William R. Hodgson was pastor. The first service was held in the new church auditorium November 29, 1925. The sanctuary completed at that time, with some alterations and enlargements was as it is today.