A color postcard of the Presbyterian church on Howell Avenue. The back caption reads “1880-Bisbee, Arizona-1980 Covenant United Presbyterian Church--Old Bisbee, Az. Organized March 8, 1900; Sanctuary dedication April 26, 1903. The structure, showing Northern European Gothic renewal Influence and Pipe Organ Built by the MLH. Harris Organ Co. of Los Angeles have been a spiritual and physical landmark for the community.” The postcard is unused and was published by Copper Queen Plaza Photo Gallery Mike Roberts Color Productions, Emeryville, CA 94608. City of Bisbee Collection.

The Presbyterian Church was founded on March 8th, 1900 by the reverends Robert W. Craig and J.G. Pritchard with 20 other practitioners in a meeting at Library Hall where religious services were held. Soon after they began to raise funds to build their own church. A board of trustees were elected to oversee the project which included: J.W. Write, N.E. Ferguson, S.M. Erench, J.G. Pritchard, A.J. McDermott, Maurice High, W.B. Kelley and S.W. French. Pritchard also served as the reverend before T.C. Moffat took over his duties. Harley M Sheilds became the regular minister in March 1901. Among the practitioners were William Dodge and D. Willis James who purchased land next to the Copper Queen Hotel for the site for the new church and construction began in 1902. In early March 1903 the organ and stain-glass windows were installed. The organ was special ordered from the Harris Company in Los Angeles at the cost of $2,500 (about $80,900 in 2021) and the total cost of construction was $10,000 (about $312,000 in 2021). On April 5, 1903 the first services were held at the Presbyterian Church and on April 26, 1903 the dedication services were held. On the March 21, 1904 they filed their articles of incorporation and two wings were later added for classrooms in 1917. The Presbyterian church was later added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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