168 Payne Avenue

North Tonawanda, NY 14120

 HISTORY
 

              North Presbyterian Church was organized on April 30, 1891 as part of the Niagara Presbytery. Prior to that Presbyterians in North Tonawanda had attended First Presbyterian Church, Tonawanda . The Rev. Henry Sanborne was ordained and installed at the first minister of the church.

            The congregation purchased a church building at 195 Schenck Street and met there for 8 years. The building now is home to the Ghost Light Theater group. On May 17, 1898 ground was broken for a new church at 168 Payne Avenue . The cost of the building, lot and adjacent manse at 166 Payne was $29,000. 

            An adjacent building was built by the men of the church in 1920 and opened in the 1921 at the rear of the church’s lot. The new Parish House contained two bowling alleys and other facilities for recreation and program activities. Bowling was discontinued because of neighbor’s complaints and eventually the building was demolished in 1929.

            The upstairs of the manse was converted into apartments in 1948, with the Pastor still maintaining the downstairs residence. In 1955 poured cement floors replaced the original wooden floors in the basement of the Church. A new manse at 170 Christiana Street was purchased in 1958 and the ground floor of the old manse was converted to the Ministers Study, secretary’s office and class rooms in 1965.  In 1970 the manse on Christiana Street was sold and replaced by one at 99 Pinewoods Drive , which served until 1990 when sold.

            The original cupola of the church was removed in 1963.  The Parish House at 166 Payne was demolished in 2008 to accommodate parking. The church offices were relocated in the basement of the Church.

            What started as the congregation of 73 members in 1891 today has a membership of 148. Membership peaked in 1966 with total of 561 members. The church has been served by 16 installed ministers.

Ministers of North Presbyterian Church

Henry Kendall Sanborne

May 26, 1891 –  March 15, 1897

Duncan Cameron

February 15, 1898 – January 31, 1909

Peter A. MacDonald

June 29, 1909 – April 1, 1912

William F. Scoular

May 13, 1913 – September 30, 1919

G. Taylor Wright

May 12, 1920 – March 25, 1922

Paul S. Heath

December 14, 1922 – June 29, 1924

E. Halladay Woods

September 24, 1924 – March 15, 1931

Loren K. Grimes

October 29, 1931 – October 1, 1935

G. Howard Mickelsen

February 6, 1936 – December 1, 1947

Harry Lee Somers

October 1, 1948 – July 13, 1950

A.   Ray Lewis

October 2, 1951 – September 30, 1957

Nevin E. Kendell

October 12, 1958 – May 1, 1965

Frank Earl Wright

November 28, 1965 – January 31, 1991

Timothy F. Lewis

July 24, 1994 – September 30, 1998

Carson O. Mouser

September 23, 2001 - May 31, 2004

Stuart C. Buisch

September 23, 2008 -