History of First Presbyterian Church
230 Years of being "For Christ in the Heart of Knoxville"
Church History
As the city of Knoxville’s first church, we have served as a worshiping community in our city since 1792.
Graveyard at First Presbyterian
Established in the 1790s, read the story of our historic graveyard and the names and tombstone inscriptions.
Stained Glass Windows
Come learn about the rich history of our beautiful stained glass and the artisans who created them.
First Presbyterian has a rich heritage of community and service in the same downtown Knoxville location since 1792.
Rev. James Park
“James Park was perhaps the most beloved minister that ever lived in Knoxville, receiving respect and confidence at the hands of the city’s citizens without regard to race, creed, or social condition.”
In the city’s long history, no minister has been more respected for his pastorate at a Knoxville church than the Rev. James Park. The pastor of First Presbyterian Church from 1866 until 1905, James Park was born (and also died) in the house at the southeast corner of Cumberland and Walnut Streets. This brick building, which currently houses the Knoxville Academy of Medicine, was the home of the Park family for three generations.
He was born on September 18, 1822, the eleventh of twelve children of James and Sophia Moody Park. His father, a pioneer merchant and mayor of Knoxville, was one of the early elders of First Presbyterian Church. In 1840 the young James Park graduated from what was then East Tennessee University but is now the University of Tennessee. He was the university’s oldest living graduate at the time of his death in 1912 at the age of ninety. In November of 1842 James Park made his profession of faith in Jesus Christ and joined the Presbyterian Church. In 1843 he began preparation for the ministry by entering Princeton Theological Seminary where he graduated in May of 1846. Rev. Park began his ministry in October of 1846 when he was licensed at Bakers Creek Presbyterian Church (near Rogersville) by the Presbytery of Holston.
In May of 1848 he was married to Phoebe C. Alexander of Lexington, Virginia, and to this marriage nine children were born. On October 5, 1848 he was ordained by the Presbytery of Knoxville and served several churches in the Knoxville area. For many years he was also an educator and served as principal of the Knoxville Female Seminary and the Tennessee School for the Deaf.
