A Brief History of Light Street Presbyterian Church

Light Street Presbyterian Church has served the spiritual and physical needs of Federal Hill residents since 1855. The congregation grew out of the first Sabbath School for South Baltimore's children, organized by Presbyterians in 1853. More than one hundred children attended the Sabbath School, which met in Southern Hall, more popularly known as Armstrong's Hall, located on the northeast corner of Light and Montgomery Streets. A year later, the construction of the present church building began, with the laying of the cornerstone on November 24, 1854. The congregation was officially organized as the South Presbyterian Church on April 26, 1855. And the completed church building was dedicated on June 10, 1855, having a construction cost of $6,700. In November 1871, the congregation voted to change its name to Light Street Presbyterian Church. Stained glass windows were added to the building in 1891.

The church's Adam-Stein pipe organ was built in 1902. It is a tracker organ, which means that all keyboard action is mechanically controlled, not electronically controlled as is common today. Of the twenty Adam-Stein organs of this type that were made, only six remain, of which our organ is one.

From its beginning, Light Street Presbyterian Church always has focused its ministry outwards toward the community, the city, and beyond. For some 20 years, the church operated a Hospitality Soup Kitchen, serving meals to the hungry and homeless. The church also was instrumental in creating Light Street Housing Corporation, which rehabbed rowhouses in the neighborhood to provide decent, affordable housing for low-income families. The church's pastors and members through the years have fostered a continuing emphasis on caring for others, feeding the hungry, housing the destitute, and giving hope to the hopeless - and that emphasis continues to this day.

Today, the Light Street Presbyterian Church continues to reach out beyond itself to others, locally and globally. We describe ourselves as a "welcoming and inclusive Christian community committed to justice, peace, and environmental sustainability." The church recently established a sister church relationship with a Presbyterian Church in Cuba.

Our garden was recently replanted and underwent an ambitious renovation. We have added stone walkways and an area from which a service could be conducted. Come and experience the peace and beauty of our garden and the fellowship of Christians in a house of worship rich in the tradition of serving God.