2024 COHORT
First Presbyterian Church Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
First Presbyterian Church Fargo is one of the oldest churches in the city and helps illuminate the complex and challenging history of U.S. westward expansion.
First Presbyterian Church Fargo Photo by Dan Francis Photography
First Presbyterian Church Fargo Photo by Dan Francis Photography
2024 Cohort
First Presbyterian Church Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
First Presbyterian Church Fargo is one of the oldest churches in the city and helps illuminate the complex and challenging history of U.S. westward expansion.
In the mid- to late-nineteenth century, Fargo was known as the “Gateway to the West.” With the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway and Fargo’s strategic location on the Red River, the area rapidly evolved as a transportation and commercial hub, attracting large numbers of settlers taking advantage of The Homestead Act of 1862. First Presbyterian was founded in 1871 and the current building, the congregation’s third, was built in 1929 in the Scottish Gothic Revival style.
First Presbyterian recognizes that they directly benefited from the displacement of the indigenous peoples native to the Fargo area. In response, the congregation has taken steps to support indigenous peoples locally and globally. First Presbyterian hosts the Heart n Soul Community Café, which provides locally grown fresh food under a pay-what-you-can model, and a free parenting class funded by the state Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, the church hosts the Fargo Moorhead Music Club and the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, which often performs in the sanctuary.
A National Fund grant of $175,000 with $175,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation will support necessary repairs to the church’s systems and exterior stairs.
First Presbyterian Church Fargo Photo by Dan Francis Photography
Spotlighting Women’s History at Historic Houses of Worship
Religious institutions have served both as a platform for the advancement of women’s rights and opportunities, and women have played critical roles in advancing religious traditions. The leadership and community building opportunities within these sacred sites have been critical to increasing female independence outside of the home and allowing women to develop institutions that strengthen their congregations and broader communities. The four historic houses of worship highlighted embody positive examples of how the histories of women and religion are inherently linked.
First Church in Oberlin
Stories and Media Coverage
Read more about how the National Fund for Sacred Places is helping congregations around the country rehabilitate their sacred places.
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church by Luis P. Gutierrez