History

The Little Rock and Fort Smith railroad had been completed and the forests were gradually being cleared for the stores and homes of Morrilton when a small group met in the depot to organize a Presbyterian Church (U.S.) on June 21, 1883.  The minister was an evangelist, Rev. J.S. Wilbanks.  This group worshiped for some time in the courthouse and in various churches in town until 1885.  They completed a highly ornamented church on South Division Street at an expense of $2,200.  It was dedicated on November 19, 1886.  Dr. Patton preached the dedicatory sermon using as his text: "This is none other but the House of God and this is the gate of heaven," Gen. 28:17.  At the time, they had only 21 members on whom the expense of its erection mostly fell. 

The members who joined at the meeting in the depot were J.T. Hannaford, R.A Irving, A.H. VanPelt, W.G. Beers, Mrs. A.E. Irving, Mrs. S.E. Sanders, Mrs. W.W. Burns, Mrs. A.W. Hill, Mrs. S.W. Irving, and Mr. John Irving.  The membership in 1890 was 40.  J.T. Hannaford and W.G. Beers were first elders and R.A. Irving first deacon.  The first report to the Presbytery, November 5, 1887, stated that there were four teachers and thirty-five students in the Sunday School.

In 1906, the union of the Cumberland U.S.A. and the Presbyterian U.S. was started and on April 14, 1912*, largely through the efforts of the two pastors, Rev. White of Cumberland U.S.A. and Rev. S.J. Martin of the U.S. Church, the two congregations united most happily to form the First Presbyterian U.S. as it is now constituted, the U.S.A. Church site becoming the home of the united church.
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Early in the 1940s, plans were begun for a building to replace the original structure and on April 27, 1952 members and friends of the church met for the dedication of the beautiful, debt-free building which stands today.

By Clarkia M. Turney

​*This happened to be the same day the Titanic sank.  We trust these two events were not related.