First Presbyterian Church of Rusk

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Rusk was organized on May 2, 1847 by the Rev. J. B. Harris, with a charter membership of four. A Sunday School was begun in 1850, and existed as a Union school until the 1880s. Ecumenical relationships were strong with other churches in town, and the Presbyterian church building was used by various denominations. The "Old School" congregation of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. was organized in March 1831 by the Rev. J. M. Becton and the Rev. J. C. Sharp, with eight charter members. A sanctuary was built on Henderson Street in 1854, and a parsonage was added in 1888-1889, largely through the efforts of the Ladies' Aid Society. The two congregations united to form the First Presbyterian Church on April 6, 1906. This property was acquired, and both church buildings were moved to the new site. The "Old School" church was converted to a parsonage. The present sanctuary was built in 1913-14, and was the first brick church in Rusk. A new parsonage was added in 1925. Throughout its history, which began one year after the city's founding, the Presbyterian church has sought to serve its community with outreach programs.

First Presbyterian Church of Rusk is a historical marker in Rusk, Cherokee County, dedicated in 1986. It is one of 112 historical markers documented in Cherokee County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 245 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.7943, -95.1513 near Rusk. The nearest cataloged historic site is First Baptist Church of Rusk (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include First Baptist Church of Rusk, Cherokee County Courthouse, and Cherokee County C.S.A..

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5073006800. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.