The First Presbyterian Church may have been the very first church established in Breckenridge, Texas prior to 1881. Mr. Henry Harrison Beck and William Veale were the moving forces behind the building of this church in Breckenridge. The first church building was erected on the southeast corner of the intersection of Rose Avenue and Walker Street. The first Pastor was Mr. Sylvanus, who came to Breckenridge from New York by way of Palo Pinto, Texas where he had served for only one year. This first church building was destroyed by a cyclone in 1904 and its bell now hangs in the First Christian Church. The first known records of the current church are dated May 7, 1888 when a group of members formed themselves into a congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
There are no church records from November, 1904 until March 23, 1919. At this point the Cumberland Presbyterian Denomination reunited with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. There were 25 chartered members at this time.
On February 1, 1920, the church purchased property at the corner of Williams and McAmis and the new building was partially completed. The basement was used for worship for two years. This new church was incorporated with the name of “First Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. of Breckenridge, Texas. The three story building was completed in October 1923. The firm of Crenshaw and Brewster of Mineral Wells was hired to finish the Upper two stories of the church building. In 1928 the membership had grown to 202 members.
In 1939, because the church had raised enough money to repair and remodel parts of the church, the Board of National Missions made a liberal offer to settle the outstanding indebtedness of the church. They helped members work out a plan to pay off the church loan.
The depression made it difficult to pay off the debt for this building but the church finally paid off their debt in 1943. On May 2, 1943, the motion was made that the in a congregational meeting to pay off the church debt. The Debt Liquidation Committee members were G.W. Ewing, Sr., Mrs. W.R. Lace, A.J. Buchanan, C. O. Thompson, Sr., Treasurer, R.E. Lee, Clerk of Session and Victor K. Aubrey, Pastor. The celebrated this event by burning the mortgage on February 27, 1944. Participating in the ceremony were Dr. George W. Fender, Dr. Henry C. Schneider, Chaunce O. Thompson, Jr., fourth generation descendant of J. M. Ward a charter member of the 1888 church and the Debit Liquidation Committee Members.
G.W. Ewing lit a candle which he passed to thirteen-year-old Chaunce O. Thompson, Jr., to hold while R.E. Lee gave each of the participants a page of the mortgage document. Each person touched his page of the mortgage to the candle, thereby eliminating the mortgage.
During 1946, the church purchased a manse at 711 West Lindsey for $6,000, borrowing $2500 of that amount.
This note was burned on September 22, 1946, s the congregation sang The Doxology.
On November 17, 1946, a new organization called “Junior Deacons” was organized in the church to encourage young men to work for their church. Three of the original nominees served as officers in this church many times and for many years thereafter: John Creagh, Thad Kelley and C. O. Thompson, Jr. In 1946 a remodeling program on the church building at Williams and McAmis was begun. It was completed in 1949. A new electric organ was purchased for the sanctuary at this time, too. This organ was replaced and dedicated in 1985 when a new computerized organ was installed.
In 1958, a building committee composed of Russell Payne, Guy Ewing Jr., and C.O. Thompson, Jr., was appointed to study possible plans for remodeling or building a new church. The Building Committee was expanded by the addition of John Cook, Ruth Holder, Leon Ford and W.J. Rhodes. The congregation at the same meeting voted to build a new facility at the corner of Williams and McAmis. In 1961, three additional members were added to the Building Committee: Mrs. R.A. Ritchey, Mrs. Jo Welch and L.W. Brooks, Jr.
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