Petersburg Presbyterian Church History

  We at the Petersburg Presbyterian Church are proud of our history.  Our roots can be traced to 1815, when the Rev. William N. Scott founded the Mount Zion Presbyterian Church, which was located one-quarter mile west of Cemetery Hill here in Petersburg.  We hold the proud distinction of being the first church in the settlement. 

    In 1833, we were still part of the state of Virginia.  That year, when the first post office was opened, the town’s name was changed to Lunice Creek, because another Petersburg had already been established in the state.  During the Civil War, our church was used as a commissary by the Union troops and was burned in 1864 by the soldiers when they feared that the Confederates would capture the stores. In 1863, the state of West Virginia was formed.   Grant County was formed in 1866, named for General Ulysses S. Grant.  Petersburg became the county seat.   It was not incorporated until 1910.

    Our church was re-built in 1878 at the present location on North Main Street.  In 1880, its name was changed to Petersburg Presbyterian Church. A kitchen and six classrooms were added in 1924;  the lecture room was enlarged at that time. In 1938, the M. P. Moller pipe organ, which has faithfully led our congregation in song, was installed in our sanctuary at a cost of $1,650.00.  Over the years, it has been up-dated and re-built.  The Fellowship Hall, a new kitchen, four classrooms, and rest rooms were added in 1957.  In 1965, an architect was employed.  Two years later, an extensive renovation was completed that changed the architecture of the sanctuary and the front of the church.