The Harrisburg Presbyterian Church is a part of the Presbyterian Church, USA. It was organized on July 21, 1903, by a commission of Concord Presbytery. For several years prior to this, pastors of the Rocky River Church conducted services in Harrisburg. Area residents saw the need for a church nearby where services could be held every Sunday. The first congregational meeting was held on August 8, 1903, and it was at this meeting that the first officers were elected.
The members soon appointed a Building Committee and began raising funds for a church building. The first building was erected at a cost of $275.50. The first service was conducted in the new building on March 13, 1904. In 1909, the Ladies Aid and Missionary Society of Harrisburg Presbyterian was formed. It is now referred to as The Presbyterian Women.
In the early years, the church was served by ministers of the Rocky River Church. In 1931, the congregation called its first full-time pastor, the Rev. Frederick Noyes Wilson, who served until 1939. Soon after he came, the congregation built a large and attractive manse for the Wilsons. It was named “The Wilson House” in their honor. Sunday school classes met in the Sanctuary from 1939-1946.
From 1947-1953, the church adopted the system of rotating officers, organized the Men of the Church, and began the church library. It was during this time that the congregation began plans for a new church and educational building. The new facility was completed in 1952 at a cost of $95,000. In the years 1953-1961, a church paper, “The Herald”, was started, the first choir director was hired, and Junior High and Senior High Youth Fellowships were organized. In 1976 to 1978, the congregation purchased a new manse and began sponsorship of a Child Development Center. The 75th Anniversary was observed in 1978 and the church began broadcasting the worship service once per month. A fellowship building was constructed in 1982 and has been extensively used for various church activities. The Wilson House became the new home for the Scouts, Mother’s Morning Out, and after school programs.
Recently building a new Family Life Center that includes the Child Development Center and a Gymnasium, the Harrisburg Presbyterian Church continues to grow in one of the fastest growing communities in North Carolina.
