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Walnut Hill Presybeterian Church, constructed
in 1801, is the oldest Presbyterian Church in Kentucky. Photograph by
Eric Thomason, courtesy of the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, Lexington,
KY |
Constructed in 1801, Walnut Hill Presbyterian Church has the
distinction of being the oldest Presbyterian Church building in
Kentucky. The church was established in 1785 to serve the religious
needs of the early pioneers. The first pastor of the church was
the Reverend James Crawford who also served as a delegate to the
Kentucky Constitutional Convention in Danville in 1792. In 1785,
Reverend James Crawford was one of two ministers ordained at the
first meeting of a presbytery in Kentucky. In 1791 he opened a
school at Walnut Hill for Latin, Greek, and the Sciences. Crawford
died in 1803 and is buried in the church cemetery.
Walnut Hill Presybeterian Church,
as seen from the east.
Photograph from National Register collection, courtesy of H.Lynn
Cravens | |
The present building was constructed during the "great revival"
to replace an earlier log building that stood on the site. The
building is stone and as it was originally constructed had eight
square windows on two levels that allowed light to enter the sanctuary
at the ground level as well as in the galleries that surrounded
the inner room on three sides. In 1880 the church was remodeled
and eight large Gothic windows were added to replace the square
windows and the galleries were removed from the inside. The church
continues to serve as an active house of worship.
Walnut Hill Presbyterian Church is located on Walnut Hill Rd. in southeastern
Fayette County at the intersection of old Richmond Rd. |