Holly Presbyterian Church History

The Holly Presbyterian Church has a rich history, which dates back to 1859, only twenty-eight years after the first white family moved into the area and twenty-three years after Ira C. Alger built a log cabin where the Mill Pond and Broad Street are today.  A small group of Presbyterian families met in their homes and then the Methodist church until the Presbyterian Church building was erected in 1861 on a plot of land donated by J.B. Simonson.  It was 32’ by 52’ and cost $2,200.  The church was remodeled in 1879 and burned to the ground February 23, 1889 during the Sabbath School’s annual sleigh-ride.  The fire was caused by a flaw in the chimney construction and resulted in not only destroyed the church, but also nearly costing the life of a baby girl, Phoebe Divine.  A new building, our current church sanctuary, was erected on the same spot in only 246 days after the fire.

If you would like more information about the history of the Holly Presbyterian Church, we have two PDF files that you will find of interest.  The first is a booklet prepared in 1959 by Isabel Stark entitled “One Hundred Years of Service.”  The second is an updated history recently prepared by Barb Brown and entitled “Holly Presbyterian Church, A Historical Review,” which takes the church’s history through July, 2007.

• “One Hundred Years of Service” (1959)
• “Holly Presbyterian Church, A Historical Review” (2007)