Westminster Presbyterian Church

801 Jackson Street SE

c. 1900

In 1888, a group of sixteen men and women met with Reverend John Davies to organize Westminster Presbyterian Church. Reverend Davies was originally sent to New Decatur by the Presbyterian Home Missions Board to organize the church. In April 1888, Reverend Davies visited the board to obtain a full-time pastor for the newly organized church; however, upon his return to New Decatur, he was not allowed to leave the train because of a yellow fever epidemic. The next spring, Reverend E. Horace Porter came to New Decatur to serve as Westminster’s first pastor. When Reverend Porter arrived, he found there was no church building, only an empty lot. With the help of a few willing members, Reverend Porter rebuilt the church, both physically and spiritually.

Westminster Presbyterian Church is registered as an American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site by the Presbyterian Historical Association. The annual Holiday Market will be held in the church’s fellowship hall on December 14 and is sure to be a favorite tour site again this year.