Springfield Presbyterian Church
Recent History of Springfield Presbyterian and Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church
Some of the regular events in the life of the church are Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Christmas and Easter choir Cantatas, and community Holy Week luncheons with guest clergy providing a Lenten meditation daily. We have a longstanding weekly Bible Study group on Wednesdays, summer Vacation Bible School, Thanksgiving Dinners, Christmas Joy Gift children’s programs, and numerous wonderful potluck dinners and other events. In September 2013, we celebrated our 225th anniversary with a special homecoming service, church history presentation, photo slideshow, and dinner on the grounds with many friends and extended family returning to celebrate together. The choir produced a CD of favorite pieces, and a history booklet was published for all attending. A wonderful concert-hymnsing was held in the afternoon with instrumental and vocal performances by youth and adult church family members. An organ recital and concert was held in September of 2015 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Pilcher pipe organ.
In April 2013, members of the Pleasant Grove Presbyterian church reunited with the Springfield Church when both congregations agreed to merge. The historic church and cemetery continue to be used and overseen by the Elders of the Springfield Church, and the unification has brought new strength and spirit to our joint congregation. We have enjoyed VBS celebrations, church picnics, hayrides, Easter sunrise services and egg hunts, and other special Worship services at the beautiful church and grounds of Pleasant Grove over the past three years. We celebrate this reunion with our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith.
Church Founding and Growth
The Springfield Presbyterian Church was founded in 1788 by a colony of pioneers from Virginia whose parents were from Scotland and Ireland. These pioneers were known as Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. Many settled in Washington and Marion Counties during the years 1787-1789.
The early history of the Springfield Presbyterian Church is closely associated with the pioneer missionary work of Rev. Terah Templin. Rev. Templin was licensed to preach by the Hanover Presbytery of Virginia in 1780. He came to Kentucky before 1781 and obtained 600 acres of land about 5 miles north of Springfield in the area of Lincoln Homestead State Park. (Templin later sold his property to Mordecai Lincoln, the President’s uncle). It is thought he preached the first sermon ever delivered in Kentucky. He made his home here with the family of Gen. John Caldwell (an early Elder here who later became Lt. Governor of Kentucky). He was engaged to General Caldwell’s sister, who died suddenly before they were to be married, and so Templin never married and remained a bachelor the rest of his life. While minutes of the church prior to 1875 are lost, it is assumed that Templin conducted religious services in homes of this region from 1781 until his ordination in Danville in 1785. Templin and James Crawford were the first Presbyterian ministers ordained in Kentucky.
The minutes of the newly formed Transylvania Presbytery in 1786 state that Templin was designated to supply vacant churches in Jefferson and Nelson Co. (Washington was still part of Nelson Co. at this time.) In 1788, Presbytery minutes state that Elder John Caldwell (who was living in the Springfield area) was present – indicating an organized congregation here. Our church uses this date as its founding date. A year later Elder Henry Woods was present according to entries in Presbytery minutes. Both men owned land in the Cartwright Creek area of Washington Co. These entries indicate a congregation here–known first as Cartwright’s Creek Church. A few years later in 1792, Presbytery met at the Cartwright’s Creek Meeting House, and the group “adjourned later to the home of Gen. Caldwell.” This was the first known Presbytery meeting held in Washington Co. – the same year Kentucky became a state. We have hosted Presbytery at our 200th, 220th and 225th anniversaries.
Records show the town branch or Road Run was called Cartwright’s Creek during the town’s early days. The Cartwright’s Creek Meeting House was located below the current Post Office building – less than a ½ block from our current site. Later the Road Run Church was built on part of Hugh McElroy’s property at the fork of the Mackville and Perryville Roads where the Wash Co. Board of Education now stands. In 1827, the land at the current Main Street location was purchased, and a brick church was built the following year. This building was torn down in 1836 because of failing foundations, and another church building with a high bell tower was erected. At least once or twice more, the church was razed and rebuilt due to various reasons–fire, increased membership and space needs. In 1888, the present church structure was built (the 4th brick church building on this site in a span of 62 years). The bell tower (double front door entrance) was lowered 30 ft. to a safer height, and it remains the oldest structure standing (circa 1837). In 1915 the Pilcher organ and alcove were added, and in 1920 the Sunday School rooms were built. In the late 1990’s, the church purchased the two buildings to the west of the church on Main St. for additional space for church use and to add to parking space. Our mission store “Heavenly Treasures” now occupies ½ of our annex space. The wooden pulpit was saved from the “second” brick church and is probably over 170 years old – (was over 100 years old in 1942).
Springfield Presbyterian Church Ministers
Over the years, many of our pastors began their ministries and were ordained here.
Terah Templin 1788-1802? Supplied Springfield, Lebanon & Bardstown
Thomas Cleland 1801-1810 served S-field, Lebanon & Union churches jointly
Nathan Hall 1808-1811 student supply–assisted Dr. Cleland
Nathan Hall (1811-1823 ) joint call by Springfield & Hardin’s Creek-Lebanon
David Proctor (1823-1825 ) Pastors served Springfield & Lebanon jointly
Samuel Findley (1825-1827 )
Samuel K. Sneed 1827-1830 end of union S-field & Lebanon
James K. Burch 1830-1832
Samuel K. Lynn 1832-1836 petition Oct. 1833 by S-field to establish Beech Fork-(Pleasant Grove)
G. W. Coons (1836-1837 )
Justice M. Clark 1838-1839 ) Pastors served Springfield & Pleasant Grove jointly 1833-1877
Vacancy (1839-1843 )
Joshua F. Green (1843-1845 ) (Beech Fork changed name to Pleasant Grove in 1844)
Samuel W. Cheney (1845-1854 )
Benj. Haynes Charles 1856-1858 )
W. W. Duncan 1858-1862 )
Miles Saunders 1862-1897 ) longest serving pastor
R.E.C. Lawson 1897-1902
Andrew G. Strickland 1902-1903
Thomas D. Latimer 1904-1906
Rufus.E.C. Lawson 1907-1918
C. A. Ray 1918-1921
F. W. A. Bosch 1922-1927
W. W. Astles 1927-1931
G. Dewey Kimbel 1932-1935
R. J. Hunter, Jr. 1935-1941
Joseph E. Knight 1942-1945
Stewart K. Lewis 1946-1951
Charles Desanto 1952
William D. Brown 1952-1953
Robert A. Larson 1953-1958
Jack B. Scott 1958-1961
H. William Peterson 1961-1966
William D. Jones 1966-1969
Frank Hayes 1969-1974
Frank Allard 1974-1983
Joel Whiteside 1984-1985* interim
James H. Rucker Jr. 1985-1991
Anne Letson 1992 *interim
Clay S. Stevens 1992-present
