First Presbyterian Church
Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Congregation traces its origin to 1742. The first regular pastor was Rev. John D. Woodhull, Revolutionary patriot. First building completed here in 1770; present edifice dedicated 1851. James Buchanan, 15th President of the U.S., was a member.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
This Lancaster congregation traces its roots to 1742, completing its first building here in 1770 with the current edifice dedicated in 1851. Its first regular pastor, the Rev. John D. Woodhull, was a Revolutionary patriot, and among its members was James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States. The church's long life spans the colonial era, the Revolution, and the antebellum decades of national growth.
Why it matters
It links a single Pennsylvania congregation to both the patriot cause of the Revolution and the life of a U.S. president, threading local faith through the national story.
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Related people
- · John D. Woodhull
- · James Buchanan
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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