First Presbyterian Church

Erected in 1921, First Presbyterian Church is home to the oldest Presbyterian congregation in Arkansas. It is also significant for its striking English Gothic-inspired ecclesiastical architecture. The most impressive part of the church is the 8th Street side of the building, which features a deeply recessed arch surrounding an ornate stained glass window, two towers with battlemented parapets, and a decorative parapet above the recessed arch. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1828. The current church building is the congregation's fourth and it replaced the previous one that was located at 5th and Scott Streets. The congregation bought the property in 1914 and built a Sunday school here. Six years later, the congregation began building the church, which, as noted above, was completed in 1921. Arkansas architect John Parks Almand (1885-1969) designed the church. Almand designed many prominent buildings in the state, including the Hot Springs Medical Arts Building, which was the tallest building in the state for many years, and the nearby Little Rock Central High School, which became known around the country for being forced to desegregate in 1957.

"First Presbyterian Church." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 13, 1986. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Presbyterian_Church_(Little_Rock,_Arkansas).