Springfield Then & Now: First United Presbyterian

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

First United Presbyterian was at one time the second oldest continuously operating congregation in Springfield.

It was founded in 1817 and their first meeting place was at the northeast corner of Columbia and Spring before they opened their first church in 1819 on the east side of N. Limestone.

In 1839, they built a brick church at Limestone and High, which they sold for $23,000 to William Whiteley in 1886 because the noise due to passing trains had grown to be too much.

In August 1886, they broke ground for their location at South Limestone and Mulberry, which they occupied until 2003.

This photo from 1993 also shows 420 S. Limestone, which was the original Littleton and Sons funeral home location in the early 1920s.

The scene looks pretty much the same today. The church and house next door are still there.