This church congregation was organized in 1845. The original church building was erected in 1856. It burned on September 17, 1869 and the present building was constructed in the mid-1880s. It features an open shingle covered belfry with “stick-style” trim and bracketed cornice. The interior walls were decorated with trompe l’oeisle (simulated Gothic apse behind the pulpit) and painted pilasters and medallions until the restoration in the 1950s. The sanctuary was again refurbished in August 2003 by removing the carpet and refinishing the original heart pine flooring, refinishing the original wooden shutters, and adding light fixtures and sconces to enhance the natural beauty of the sanctuary.
This church was photographed and recorded in the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1936. It is located at 203 Broad Street in Camden, AL (GPS coordinates 31.993984, -87.292390).
Sources: 1) 2004 Fall Pilgrimage, Wilcox County, Alabama Brochure, published by the Wilcox Historical Society; 2) The First Presbyterian Church of Camden Historical Marker (located at front of church).
B&W pictures courtesy of the U. S. Library of Congress (HABS), photographer: E. W. Russell, date: June 15, 1936.