This congregation is older than this county or this state. Prior to 1798 a dozen or more of the first members of the First Presbyterian church had settled here. They could not organize without elders, but held services. Before 1796 the laws of the territory required all men to attend church service, carrying rifles under penalty of a fine.

The first services held in Hamilton were held in the messroom of the Fort by Chaplain Jones, of General Wayne's army, and perhaps by Rev. Mr. James Kemper, who was appointed by the Transylvania Presbytery April 27, 1791, to "supply the settlements of the Miami at his discretion," as the records of that Presbytery show. Also records show that he visited Springdale and Big Prairie. Along the Miami river most of the first services were held in block houses. It was so at Springdale, at Cincinnati, at the mouth of Dick's creek and other places.

Since this was the custom we may rest assured that Fort Hamilton was used for this purpose. Our earliest records are lost. After peace came (1796) the groves, where arbors were erected, furnished the most popular places for meetings. In the winter the neighborhood would meet on Sabbath from house to house in the log cabins. The Transylvania Presbytery advised that services be held without a minister when none could be had, when sermons were to be read by some elder or member of the church. In 1800 a great revival began throughout the west and a big camp meeting on Indian creek was held.  In 1817, together with the Reformed Church, now the U.P. church, this church bought of David K. Este the south half of the in-lot 103 at the west end of where the basin was made, paying $150.  In 1818 they built a brick church, 50 x 40 feet, which cost $3098.

When the basin was built the location was considered to be bad and the building was sacrificed for $600 or for one-fifth of its cost ten years previous.  Part of the wall of that edifice is in Jacob's hall, between Court and High, on Third Street.

In 1829, Mr. John Reily gave a deed to the church, conveying lot 22 South Front Street.  This building was of brick, 50 x 42 feet.  Two doors opened on Front Street and the pulpit was between the doors.  It contained seventy-two pews with two aisles and with room to seat 350 persons.  That building was erected by this congregation alone and cost but little more than half what the partnership church had cost.   In 1837, less than ten years, this building was sold for $700, or less than half its cost to the Lutheran congregation.

In 1838, upon the present site was erected another church building. It was 66 x 42 feet, costing $5000.

In 1855, forty-three years ago, this structure was built. It is 85 feet long and 48 feet wide.

(In 1831 there was a scism in the church. The old school branch, with Rev. Mr. Montfort, built a new church in Rossville, on Ross street, where the public school now stands. After the reunion, that church was purchased for school purposes.)

The church has outlived all of the first membership. Two old persons, one 92, the other 99 years old, remember the first ministers here who remained in this vicinity for some years after leaving this church. This church has had on its membership roll 2000 names; (40 elders and 27 ministers have served here.)

The unorganized congregation was ministered to in Fort Hamilton by Cbaplain Jones and propably by James Kemper and Peter Wilson before 1798. John Thompson, 1801; Mathew G. Wallace, 1805; Francis Monford, 1821; J. G. Montfort, 1837; Thomas Whalen, 1838; Adrien Aten, 1841; Augustus Pomeroy 1832; Charles Packard, 1837; Thomas E. Thomas, 1839; George Darling, 1849; Charles Sturdevant, 1852; Levi Christian, died 1854; Hugh Ustic, died 1857; William McMillan, died 1858; C. B. Martin, 1865; E.J. Hamilton, 1866; N. West, 1868; S. McAnderson, 1870; E. W. Abbey, 1880; J. P. Greene, July 1898. WESTMINSTER CHURCH: 1892; J. S. Edenburn, 1893.

 © 2000 by the Butler County Historical Society