Stop 44: First Presbyterian Church
Address: 200 West Trade Street Year(s): Congregation recognized 1821; first church dedicated 1823; present building begun 1857, rebuilt and extended 1894 and 1895 Style: Gothic Revival Designation: National Register of Historic Places (1982) Notable: Tiffany windows and a Ben Long fresco
First Presbyterian Church at 200 West Trade is one of the oldest congregations in Charlotte. The church's own history tells it this way: in 1815 the town set aside land for a church every denomination could use, construction began about 1818, and the "Brick Church" was dedicated in 1823. Concord Presbytery recognized the Presbyterians of Charlotte as a church on September 5, 1821.
A second building went up in 1857 in the Gothic Revival style. Its facade, narthex and tower remain part of today's church; the spire was rebuilt in 1883 and 1884. The Sunday School building was added on the Church Street side in 1894 and 1895, when the sanctuary walls were rebuilt and extended toward Fifth Street.
The art inside
The church holds Tiffany windows. Sources count them differently: the 1981 National Register nomination says four, and the Friends of Fourth Ward Self-Walking Tour (2016) says three. In the entrance hall of the fellowship building is Ben Long's fresco "The Parable of the Good Samaritan," painted in 2001, 8 feet by 28 feet.
Context in the Fourth Ward walking tour
First Presbyterian is one of four historic churches on this tour, with First A.R.P. / McColl Center (stop 37), First United Methodist (stop 40), and St. Peter's Episcopal (stop 41).
Visiting today: service times and parking are in our houses of worship guide.
← Stop 43 · Back to walking tour hub · Next: stop 45, Bagley-Mullen House →
Sources: First Presbyterian Church, "A History of First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte," firstpres-charlotte.org. Read October 3, 2026. National Register of Historic Places nomination, First Presbyterian Church (MK0073), prepared December 22, 1981. Read October 3, 2026. Ben Long Fine Art, "First Presbyterian Church." Read October 3, 2026. Friends of Fourth Ward, Self-Walking Tour (2016). Retrieved April 24, 2026.