ABOUT US

Church History

IN THE EARLY1800’s, Presbyterian pioneers from the Carolinas and Georgia moved into the area that came to be known as Quincy. They gathered for worship and, in 1828, built a church four miles north of Quincy that they called Philadelphia.

In 1833, the Reverend Mr. Daniel Baker organized the First Presbyterian Church in the village of Quincy. Eight men were ordained to serve as ruling elders. After a slow start, the church was reorganized in 1838, and new elders and deacons were elected.

The first house of worship at our present location, on the corner of King and Madison streets, was built in 1845 and stood for 78 years. In 1923, a new church building was constructed to meet the growing worship and educational needs of the congregation and the community. The sanctuary we use today is that same structure; however, it was remodeled and rededicated in 1969.

The historic Quincy Academy building, located on the corner of King and Adams Streets, was acquired in the late 1980s and serves as our Community Outreach Building. It currently houses our Clothes Closet and a meeting place for Scouts.

In 2006, a large field and warehouse adjacent to the existing property were gifted to the church. Volunteers planted trees and sod, and it is now used for recreation and church activities.

Old Philadelphia

HISTORY
Presbyterian pioneers came to the Gadsden County area from Georgia and the Carolinas as early as 1822. These worshippers built Philadelphia, a log meeting house, in 1828. It was served by itinerant ministers until 1832 when the Reverend Leander Kerr arrived and served as the first official Pastor. The log structure was replaced in 1859 by the present building and is Gadsden County’s oldest remaining meeting house located about four miles north of Quincy. Philadelphia was used continuously until 1912 as a Presbyterian house of worship, a place of education, and a center of community life. Many Presbyterian churches in North Florida and South Georgia trace their origins to Philadelphia, as certainly does our Quincy First Presbyterian Church.

PHILADELPHIA SERVICES
First Presbyterian Church of Quincy worships at Old Philadelphia each year on the first Sunday in May, and the first Sunday in November. The service starts at 11:00 AM and is followed by a wonderful pot-luck church family meal on the grounds. Supervised fun and games are provided for the young children during and after the service. It is a great opportunity for unique worship and Christian fellowship, and visitors are welcome!

LOCATION
Go north on Madison Street (Highway 65, also known as the Attapulgus Highway), and a little more than three miles north of Quincy you will come to Old Philadelphia Church Road. Turn left (west) on Old Philadelphia Church Road and in less than 1/4 mile you will see the Old Church and grounds on the right.