working to bless our community for over 150 Years
our history
The corner of Fourth and Kimbark has been the home of our Presbyterian congregation for almost 150 years. Upon the founding of Longmont in 1871, the Rev. Sheldon Jackson, a minister and missionary who established more than 100 missions and churches in the western United States during the 19th century, organized the First Presbyterian Church of Longmont. This congregation merged with the Upper St. Vrain Church at Pella (founded in 1869) on March 15, 1872 to become Central Presbyterian Church of Longmont. Worshippers used any available building to meet, including the Longmont fire house and Library Hall until this chapel was built in 1875 on the corner of Fourth and Kimbark.
CENTRALongmont Presbyterian Church has seen our community grow from less than 1,000 residents to approaching 100,000.
1905 - laying the cornerstone
The corner stone of our current sanctuary was laid on January 31, 1905 and the building was completed and equipped for services by December 3, 1905.
The picture below was taken by Charles W. Boynton around 1906 and shows CENTRALongmont Presbyterian Church looking down 4th Avenue.
our windows
We are blessed with stunning stained glass windows throughout our building. A stained glass window depicting Jesus along with a group of children, still around from when our sanctuary was constructed in 1905, looks down over the pews of the church. Its brethren window on our western wall, depicting Jesus praying, was dedicated in memory of the Warner family who came to Longmont with their three sons in 1880.
Longmont looking idyllic in a winter blizzard. This photograph shows a snow covered Kimbark Street highlighting CENTRALongmont Presbyterian Church and Carnegie Hall sometime between 1906 and 1913.