Our History
The First Presbyterian Society of the town of Aurora was constituted November 5, 1843. Prior to this date, local Presbyterians and Congregationalists shared facilities and leadership going back to 1818. The newly-formed Presbyterian Society met at a colonial-style church building on the northeast corner of Main and Church streets until 1892, when the congregation moved to the current location on the corner of Main and Paine streets.
Fires destroyed the church building twice, in 1902 and 1933. Our present “old” building was rebuilt from the 1933 fire. In 1961, the Christian Education wing opened, at a time when more than 300 children attended Sunday School. Improvements since then focused on making the facility more accessible. We in the current congregation are committed to carrying the blessing forward!
We began as an “old school” Presbyterian congregation, around the time of a movement in America known as the Second Great Awakening. Over the years, our connection to the Presbyterian stream has played an important part in our story. So has our surrounding community, both local and abroad.
The First Presbyterian Church often had a leading role in joint religious activities in East Aurora, such as village worship services, ecumenical women’s programs, and town hall speakers.
Some interesting points from our history & current offerings:
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In 1923, we founded one of the earliest Boy Scout troops in the area.
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One of our pastors was tapped to help struggling churches in France after World War Two.
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In the 1970s, our church basement housed a community youth activity called The Minotaur, featuring dances and refreshments.
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The First Presbyterian Preschool opened in 1962, and is still bringing God’s love to little ones and their caregivers.
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Recently, we began housing art programs for specially-abled people, and on Tuesdays we have a long-standing date with preschool-aged kids and their caregivers to play and make music
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Due to its fine acoustics, our venue often hosts community concerts ranging from contemporary folk to chamber music.
Through these connections we have been able to share God's blessing.
