"Organized in 1883 by local families of largely Scottish ancestry who had settled Euchee Valley just southeast of DeFuniak, First Presbyterian began with a membership of 10. Today the church has an active membership of 137, a number of whom are descendants of its original founders.
"From early gatherings in a log building, to the 1890 completion of a red brick church among the magnolias along the lakeshores just east of its present location, the families of First Presbyterian now worship in the Greco-Roman styled sanctuary constructed in 1923.
"A.G. Campbell Jr., in his 1963 history of First Presbyterian, wrote that First Presbyterian is "a church active for God, a church in which the joys and sorrows, the humor and pathos are shared, and a church in which such sharing binds its members into Christian fellowship.""
-- Source
"Organization of DeFuniak Springs First Presbyterian Church in November, 1883, was spearheaded by Dr. Daniel L. Campbell, a member of one of the Scottish families who settled in Euchee Valley. Dr. Campbell became a permanent resident of DeFuniak Springs about the time the Louisville and Nashville Railroad designated 'Open Pond' as the location of one of its stations in 1881 or 1882.
"The railroad and its station, used for purposes of loading freight and / or passengers to and from all sections of the country, brought people out of other parts of the area to forma permanent settlement.
"An evangelist, Reverend H. M. Anderson, probably a home missions minister in the Florida Presbytery, and Dr. Campbell are reported to have been the organizers of the Church which began with a membership of ten. These were Mr. James E.. Bowers, Mrs. Mary Bowers, Dr. D. L. Campbell, Mrs. Anna D. Cawthon, Mrs. Nancy Douglass, Captain and Mrs. A. B. McLeod, Miss Jane McLeod, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Monroe according to early histories. James E. Bowers, W. A. Monroe, and Dr. D. L. Campbell were elected as elders.
"On July 10, 1886, the membership was strengthened by accession with transfer of ten members from the Euchee Valley Church -- Mrs. Jane Anderson, Mrs. Catherine Anderson, John Anderson, Mrs. Cynthia Bracken, Miss Abbie Campbell, Mrs. Ellen Campbell, McKinnon Campbell, William L. Campbell, Alex D. McKinnon, and Mrs. Ella D. McKinnon. There were also four transfers from the Freeport Church -- J. L. McKinnon, Mrs. Mary McKinnon, Mrs. Mary and W. B. McLeod.
"It was in 1886 that the first deacons, W. B. McLeod and F. C. Eaton, were elected. Mr. McLeod was also Treasurer and in 1888 Captain A. B. McLeod was elected a deacon.
1931 Presbytery Minutes include a paper prepared by Reverend W. E. McElwain D. D. at the request of the Presbytery. In it he reports on his work as Chairman of Presbytery's Committee of Home Missions. In 1896, he began a five year period of 'evangelizing our territory.' With reference to his work with this church he reported:
'Perhaps the best piece of construction work, during this term of service was the caring for , and the development of, the little new church at DeFuniak Springs. At that time it had only about forty members, its pulpit was vacant, and it could pay only about &400 for one half of a minister's time. This church was greatly discouraged because all the nearby churches were supplied, leaving it with no available connections. To meet this situation, a protracted meeting was held, a salary secured, Reverend E. E. Ervin, who remained with the church about ten years. Today the little Scotch Church which came out of the mother church at Euchee Valley is one of the largest and most aggressive churches in the entire Presbytery, Today (1931) it has more than four hundred members and its contributions last year were more than $10,000.000.
'To this period also belongs the organization of the new church at Laurel Hill. Reverend Mr. Ervin, pastor at DeFuniak Springs, held a protracted meeting here at the close of the meeting a petition was drawn up with eleven signatures asking for the organization of a church. B the order of Presbytery Mr. Ervin organized this church April 24, 1898.'
Membership in 1893 was reported to be 54; 1903, 110; 1913, 200; and 1923, 346. By 1963 the membership had grown to 421."
-- Source