The congregation of the First Presbyterian Church was first organized January 7, 1853 with 11 charter members. It was led by Reverend James Swan, who also preached at Eel River Presbyterian Church. Services were originally held in the brick courthouse, which had been built in 1850, but as the church grew, funds were able to be raised for a building of its own. The lot on Chauncey Street was purchased from Nathaniel and Henrietta Chauncey for $200. This first building was completed in 1859. After a number of years, it was evident more space was needed, and the congregation decided to build a new church. The old church was sold to a J.W. Baker, who moved it to the lot on the southwest corner of Van Buren and Washington Streets.
Leading the building committee for this new church were J.E. Clarke, Asher Clugston, John Adams, Vallorous Brown and Thomas Marshall. The first brick to the First Presbyterian Church was laid on August 15, 1892. It was dedicated in a special ceremony October 22, 1893. Construction for this building came at a cost of $10,500. The dedication ceremony began with Dr. Willis Craig, of Chicago’s McCormick Theological Seminary, stopping proceedings to announce $1,000 was left still to be paid before the ceremony could continue. A hat was passed amongst those in attendance. Afterwards, a sum of $1,229 had been raised and the ceremony could continue.
Over the years, the building has gone through several changes and remodels, but its Gothic style still remains, indicative of the late Gothic revival occurring as it was built.
The building is surrounded by beautiful stained-glass windows, with many having their own story. On the west side of the building a large window gives remembrance to Reverend Thomas J. Giboney. He spent a summer in Columbia City and was called upon to be minister. He was well-respected and loved, and under his leadership the church grew from 17 to 62. He left to accept a position in Big Rapids, Michigan in 1891, but sadly passed away just a few months later.
Then on the east side stands an ornate window given by Thomas Marshall as a way to honor his father Dr. Daniel Marshall after his death October 13, 1892. A flame sits atop the bell tower of the church, meant to represent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The quarter foil underneath is meant to symbolize the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Thank you to the Whitley County Historical Museum for sharing photos from their collection and for their outstanding research and writing of the article.
Where are We: Architectural History
The colored banding across the top of this window is a unique architectural feature of this building.
The First Presbyterian Church, now The Shops at the Sanctuary, on the northeast corner of Chauncey and Jackson Streets was built in 1892 by the noted Fort Wayne architects Wing and Mahurin in a mixed Queen Anne/Gothic Revival architectural style.
The building’s Gothic elements include the pointed windows with trefoils and quatrefoils, stained glass, square bell tower, and polygonal apse, while the steeply pitched shingled cross gables are Queen Anne.
The uniquely contrasting red stripe that connects the windows around the middle of the façade, along with a second band just below the belfry, was achieved by tinting the mortar to match the color of the brick faces. A simple technique, it creates a solid band of color that offsets the conventional brick and mortar. Even in historic black and white photos, the effect is striking.
Thank you to Nathan Bilger for providing the recent photos and valuable insights into the architectural history.
