Charleston, SC

First Scots Presbyterian

First (Scots) Presbyterian Church was organized in 1731 as the Presbyterian Church of Charles Towne by twelve Scottish families who withdrew from the White Meeting House. Since 1681, the White Meeting House had served as the shared place of worship for both Presbyterians and Congregationalists in Charles Towne. The separation was amicable and centered on the issue of subscription to the Westminster Standards of the Church of Scotland. The Scottish families favored strict subscription, while the majority of the congregation supported a non-subscribing position.

The congregation’s first church building, a simple frame structure, was completed in 1734 on the southeast corner of the present churchyard. It was enlarged in 1763 and expanded twice more between 1783 and 1808 to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1814, the frame building was replaced by the present sanctuary. This imposing stuccoed brick church, distinguished by its twin towers rising above a columned portico, was likely designed and constructed by Scottish master builders John and James Gordon, both members of the congregation. Its design may have been inspired by Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s Baltimore Cathedral, completed only a few years earlier. Today, the church stands as the fifth-oldest house of worship in Charleston. From its founding, traditional and inspirational music has been an essential part of worship at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church.

The congregation’s first recorded pipe organ was a Thomas Appleton instrument installed in 1828. In 1887, it was replaced by an A. B. Felgemaker organ, which served the church until 1946, when Austin Organs installed a new instrument. The Austin organ was succeeded in 1977 by Schantz Organ Company Opus 1468. In 1992, Ontko & Young built the church’s current 71-rank organ, an instrument strongly influenced by the French Romantic tradition. More recently, R.A. Colby was engaged to stabilize the organ’s mechanical systems and replace the original lighted push-button console with a new curved French Terrace drawknob console. No tonal changes or additions were made, preserving the instrument’s distinctive musical character.