Our History
Our congregation’s first building was dedicated in 1893.
In 1891, certain residents of the San Lorenzo Valley gathered together and elected a Board of Trustees, chaired by the Reverend Alex Eakin, to discuss the possibility of starting a new congregation in Felton. It was decided to build a new church and call it First Presbyterian Church of Felton. That building was dedicated in June of 1893 and cost $1,100 to build. It still stands at the corner of Gushee and Felton Empire Road..
First Presbyterian Church of Felton in 1908. The bell tower is clearly visible. In the background, on the right, a train makes its way upriver.
As the congregation grew, it became necessary to construct the present building on Highway 9. Don Kint of Felton acted as foreman and built the church using a combination of hired carpenters and volunteers. During the arduous building process, Mr. Kint wrote,
“We are using the social hall as a sanctuary now. I wonder how soon there will be enough faith to finish the church building. God will supply the money.”
The building was dedicated on January 2, 1955.
In 1969, the Wee Kirk Church of Ben Lomond united with First Presbyterian to become the United Presbyterian Church of Felton. As a symbol of their unity, the brass cross from Wee Kirk was attached to the redwood cross in the church’s sanctuary. The result can still be seen in the front of the sanctuary today.
Sunday worship, February 19th, 1990.
In 1993 we celebrated our 100th anniversary as a church, and in 2018 we celebrated 125 years of worship together. We thank God for our rich heritage and look forward with confidence to many more decades of love and service in our community.
