Second Presbyterian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)
| Second Presbyterian Church | |
|---|---|
| Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis | |
Neo-Gothic | |
| Years built | 1957–1959 |
 | |
Second Presbyterian Church is a historic congregation located at 7700 North
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).[2]
History
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The congregation was founded in 1837 when fifteen members of the Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis, which would subsequently be known as First Presbyterian, broke off as part of the
Old School–New School Controversy. The new congregation adhered to the New School General Assembly and soon took the name Second Presbyterian.[3] On May 13, 1839, Henry Ward Beecher was installed as the first minister, the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Beecher would go on to become one of the most famous men in nineteenth century America.[4] He became known for his use of humor and informal language in his preaching and built the congregation to the largest in the city during his tenure as pastor.[5]
The congregation built its first house of worship on Governor's Circle (modern day
Indiana War Memorial. The church, along with a number of other buildings, held out from demolition. The church was not razed until 1960, after the completion of the congregation's current home on North Meridian Street.[6]
On April 11, 1990, Second Presbyterian Church held funeral services for Ryan White. Over 1,500 people attended the standing-room only event, including Michael Jackson, First Lady of the United States Barbara Bush, and Elton John, who performed "Skyline Pigeon".
References
- ^ "All Statistics: Second Indianapolis, IN". Presbyterian Mission Agency: Research Services. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
- ^ "Fifteen Largest PC(USA) Congregations Based on Membership Size, 2012" (PDF). Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
- ^ Brockman, Paul (May 15, 2002). "First Presbyterian Church (Indianapolis, IND.) Time Capsules Collection, 1839–1902" (PDF). Indiana Historical Society.
- ISBN 978-0-307-42400-6.
- ISBN 978-0-307-42400-6.
- ^ Hostetler, Joan. "Indianapolis Then and Now: Second Presbyterian Church and World War Memorial, East Vermont Street". Historic Indianapolis.
External links
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