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Prior to 1847 there were no regular Presbyterian Church services on the Puyallup River. Presbyterians went to Steilacoom. Eventually a group from that church began meeting in the Puyallup Valley at Franklin (later changed to Sumner). The Rev. George W. Sloan preached in the valley occasionally. In the summer of 1874 Rev. George F. Whitworth began preaching once a month in the Liberty Schoolhouse, which stood at the corner of Wood and Main Streets. He also preached in private homes and organized a Sunday School.
The Presbyterian Church of Puyallup was organized in 1877 but met in Sumner. Later those parishioners living south of the river withdrew and organized the Presbyterian Church in Puyallup. This congregation was not fully identified with Sumner until Dec. 31, 1883, when it was incorporated as The First Presbyterian Church of Sumner, Washington Territory.
In 1877 the membership numbered seven: Laura F. Meade, Susannah Thompson, Eliza Jane Meeker, Mary McMillan, Caddie Meeker, and Elijah C. Meade. A new church building was started that year on West Main and was dedicated April 14, 1878. Dr. Whitworth secured funds from San Francisco, |
Portland and the East Coast. The church was built on a plot of ground given by John Kincaid two years before Sumner was surveyed. The building was used until 1911, when another facility was completed on the corner of Academy and Ryan Streets.
The town of Sumner grew, and the building was remodeled in 1950 to provide room for Sunday School classes. In 1972 the congregation moved to the present location on Washington Street and Valley Avenue. The building was built in three stages. Snelling Hall served as the sanctuary and the fellowship hall during the first six years. The sanctuary was built in 1978, and the Willard Youth Center was added in 1989.
Sumner Presbyterian Church has continued to serve the changing needs of the Sumner community. Sumner has changed from a rural farming area to a suburb of both Tacoma and Seattle, and the church has found itself changing and growing with the area. Evangelism and Missions continue to be a major focus as the Session seeks to lead the church forward to a richer and stronger relationship to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ |
