In the late 1880's, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church sent out missionaries to form new churches. The Reverend Neill Davis Johnson came to Topeka in July, 1887 and advertised in the Topeka Capital for interested persons. Mr. R. H. Hunter and Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Hunter responded and in February, 1889, Reverend Johnson arranged a service in Bennett's Flats, 1132 Western Avenue. The next week a Sabbath School started with thirteen members.
And so the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized May 5, 1889 with 10 charter members. Francis M. Drake and Andrew Bixler were chosen elders.
A suitable building site at the corner of Huntoon and Polk was purchased from William Mafin and W. F. Morrow for $4,200. Father Lowrance, a retired minister, supplied the church for a short time.
The third minister was the Reverend Hal F. Smith who came to Topeka on July 1, 1899. Rapid expansion of the membership into Potwin, Auburndale, and Arlington Heights caused a move into the present location at Fourth and Washburn, then called West Street. The first church was a small white wooden building.
The Reverend H. Kelso served the church in 1902-1903; the Reverend Loyal Watson Madden until October, 1907. At that time there were 126 members and nine baptized infants.
In May, 1906 the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. resolved their differences and merged. An elder of our church, Mr. W. A. Eaton, was present at the reunion as a Commissioner of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and marched with the other commissioners in a body to the Commissioners of the Presbyterian Church of America where they were received with open arms. In December, 1906 our church became the Potwin Presbyterian Church.
The Reverend Harry Lewis Nelson came to Potwin on January 1, 1908 and stayed for 27 years. More than 1,000 persons joined the church under his leadership. Upon his retirement, he was named Pastor Emeritus. The continued growth of the congregation and of the Sunday School made a bigger building a necessity. White the present red brick was under construction, services were held in the Potwin Elementary School.
Several interesting features were incorporated in the construction of the new church. Moveable glass partitions divided the educational space into classrooms. These could be folded to provide more space for the sanctuary. The basement served as a fellowship hall, gymnasium, Boy Scout meeting place, and Sunday School room. A large modern kitchen stood at the side. Beautiful stained glass memorial windows added an atmosphere of reverence to the sanctuary.
For his accomplishments, Reverend Nelson was given the degree of Doctor of Divinity in June, 1926, by the College of Emporia. He was chosen as Moderator of the Synod of Kansas in 1920; was Stated Clerk of the Topeka Presbytery for 20 years; and was twice a Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church.
The Reverend A. Walton Roth succeeded Dr. Nelson. He stayed from January, 1935, until May, 1940. During his years of service many new members joined the congregation, 101 during the fiftieth anniversary alone. Church membership reached 530; Sunday School, 430. It was he who initiated the Vacation Bible School at Potwin. There were three young people's societies. During the Golden Anniversary a metal box was embedded in the west wall of Fellowship Hall. The S. E. Cobb Memorial organ was acquired during Reverend Roth's pastorate. The donors were Mrs. S. E. Cobb and Mrs. Theo Cobb Landon.
For his contributions in both church and civic activities, he too was given a Doctor of Divinity degree. He left to become Synod Secretary for the State of Kansas.
Next in line was the Reverend Irwin K. Johnson, who came in September, 1940. He stayed a little lass than four years and left to go to the First Presbyterian Church of Childress, Texas. In those four years, however, he served effectively as a pastor and was an especially active worker in the Christian Education work of the church and of the Youth Conferences and Camps of the Topeka Presbytery. He was also interested in the work of the church in foreign lands.
The Reverend Luther W. Kurtz succeeded Reverend Johnson and also stayed four years. During his stay, the church debt was retired in an impressive mortgage burning ceremony on March 1, 1946. Church membership was then 625.
Succeeding the Reverend Kurtz was the REverend Ralph A. Strong, who had been Assistant Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Omaha, Nebraska. He stayed from March, 1948 to May, 1952 and left to go to Emporia to work with youth groups, which was his specialty.
The Reverend Donald Evans became pastor October 1, 1952. Under his leadership, the Special Building Committee was authorized to purchase the Ewing property which adjoined the church building to the east and to construct an educational annex to the church, to install air conditioning and to purchase a manse at 111 South Broadmoor.
During his pastorate women were called to the Session of the first time, and there were classes and seminars for church officers and workers to help them understand relationships and responsibilities between the church and its members and officers. He too received a Doctor of Divinity degree from the College of Emporia.
During his tenure the Presbyterian Church of the U. S. A. and the Presbyterian Church of America joined, and Potwin became Potwin United Presbyterian Church. He left to become pastor of the Overland Park Presbyterian Church.
The Reverend John Gillesse became the minister of Potwin Church in April, 1963, coming here from Salina, Kansas. He was born in the Netherlands, but he attended public schools in Michigan and received his B.D. degree from the Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. During his stay, the Board of Trustees was discontinued and the Session changed to consist of twelve members of three classes of four members each. The Deacons became a Board of eighteen members divided into three classes.
Potwin celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary on May 5, 1964, with a picnic in the Old Garfield Shelter House in North Topeka. Then after ten years, Reverend Gillesse left to become administrator at the Topeka Presbyterian Manor.
In August, 1973, the Reverend Merrill O. Stalcup came from San Antonio to be the new pastor. Soon after he came, the church sold the manse and bought the Texaco property south of the church to use as a parking lot on Sundays and some evenings. During the week days it was to be used for commercial purposes, for which the user would pay rent and care for the church yard. The Reverend Stalcup left in September 1981, to become administrator of the Christian Church Apartments at Eighteenth and Gage, here in Topeka.
The present pastor, The Reverend Peggy Boten Haub, came as a temporary replacement, but after six months became pastor. She was installed October 2, 1983. During her stay many changes took place. On October 31, 1986, the church became owner of the Pomeroy house, east of the church.
In 1985 rooms on the top floor of the Sunday School addition were made into an attractive Memorial Hall to be used for receptions and gatherings of all kinds. The Anchors and Dorcas monthly meetings are held there as well as the annual Fall Bazaar. The Anchors provided a sound system for the hall.
In June, 1987, plans were made for extensive remodeling of the church. The work was divided into four phases and the money was to be collected for each phase before it was started. On November 13, 1988, the first phase was completed and dedicated. It consisted of moving the organ, piano and choir seats, of replacing the chancel floor and installing new carpeting, and of replacing chancel walls, pulpit, communion table and benches with oak, and lastly of installing a lovely new sculptured cross at the back of the chancel.
Over its nearly one hundred years, Potwin Presbyterian Church has contributed to the Potwin community in many years: Boy and Girl troops have used our facilities; Al-anon and A A groups have met there; dinners have been served from the kitchen; basketball teams have practiced in the basement.
