Historic Name

Church of the Covenant

Address

250 W 7 ST

Municipality

City of Erie

Tax Parcel

17040007020700

Historic District

West 6th Street HD

Classification

Class 1 (Definitions of Classes)

State Key Number

aaaaaa

Historic Function

Religion - religious structure

Style

Gothic Revival

Built

1929

Architect

Builder

Barn Type on property

Last Entry Update

8/2/2016

The First Presbyterian Church in Erie was founded on February 14, 1815. Over the next decade, the population of the church grew exponentially; therefore, the church expanded to a property at the corner of 5th and Peach Streets in 1825. Several branch churches were established from the foundation that was the First Presbyterian Church, including Belle Valley (Norcross Road) in 1841, Park Church (South Perry Square) in 1855, and Central Church (10th and Sassafras Streets) in 1871. Park Church and Central Church chose to merge in February 1929 to form the Church of the Covenant, and officially unified when the cornerstone of their new church was laid on June 16, 1929. Constructed by architecture firm, Corbusier & Foster, this Late Gothic Revival style church at Seventh and Myrtle Streets welcomed Reverend Dr. Ralph Marshall Davis as its first minister and had over 1,800 parishioners.

In Spring 1979, the First Presbyterian Church, which was located at Peach Street and North Park Row, met with the Church of the Covenant to discuss a merger. On October 5, 1980 the two congregations voted to unify under the name “First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant,” or more commonly, “First Covenant.” First Covenant decided to occupy the church at Seventh and Myrtle Streets, and Gannon University purchased the First Presbyterian Church building, renaming it Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel. In 2016, the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant continues to have a vibrant community in the heart of downtown Erie.

Sources:

If you have additional information or corrections to the existing information, send an email to info@preservationerie.org.
Submitted information is reviewed by Preservation Erie prior to updating the database.

Photo courtesy, Erie County Assessment Office