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[ Itinerary ]
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[ Bagley-Mullen House ]
Most of the early European settlers who migrated to Mecklenburg County
in the eighteenth century were Scots-Irish Presbyterians. As
Calvinists, they believed in a stern but merciful God who rewards good
and punishes evil. They were also experienced pioneers. The
Scots-Irish were Scotsmen who had been sent by King James I to Ireland.
Later, many had migrated to the New World, mainly to Pennsylvania,
Maryland and Delaware.
After 1730, when the Royal government began to market land aggressively in the Carolina "backcountry," the Scots-Irish started pouring into the Piedmont in search of cheap land. Some, like Thomas Polk, stopped when they came to the major crossroads formed by what is now Trade Street and Tryon Street .
The Scots-Irish were not alone. Even in Mecklenburg County there were Germans, English, Welshmen and others. Especially in county seats like Charlotte, where tavern keepers and lawyers tended to settle, several Christian denominations could be found. It is not surprising that the first church on this site, established in 1815, was a town church. The Presbyterians bought this lot and erected their own house of worship in 1845, and they have been using the land ever since. The oldest part of the building you see today is the very front section. It dates from 1857. Most of the ornate structure, including its crenelated parapets, towers, spires, and pinnacles, was built in the mid-1890's.
As you stand amid the trees and look up at the steeple pointing toward the heavens you cannot help but think about the thousands of worshipers who have come to this spot over the years. How many weddings? How many funerals? How much joy? How much sadness? Old and young have come here to listen to the stories and perform the rituals that have sustained them in sickness and in health.
One member of First Presbyterian Church was
Another member of First Presbyterian Church was Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, Hill's sister-in-law and the widow of General Stonewall Jackson. If these trees could talk and these walls could sing, what might they say?
Exit from the First Presbyterian Church yard on the Poplar Street side. Turn right on Poplar Street and look at the brick house on the next corner across the street.
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