Our sanctuary is filled with symbols and images from our faith history. Learn more.
First Presbyterian Church was designed by church architect Hobart Upjohn of New York City, assisted by Harry Barton of Greensboro.
Its design was inspired by the Cathedral of St. Cecelia in Albi, in southern France. Albi Cathedral, begun in 1282, is called Southern French Gothic or Fortress Gothic. The fortress construction was unusual for its time; it was built of brick rather than stone.
Our church sanctuary is in the traditional cruciform style – the form of a cross. The nave, the long narrow portion of the building from the narthex to the chancel, contains pews for worshipers.
The word nave comes from the Latin word meaning “ship” and in ecclesiastical art the church is often represented as a ship sailing toward heaven. You may have a sense of awe as you look upward at the 85-foot ceiling. The length of the center aisle is 160 feet; the width of the nave 54 feet; and width of the transepts 64 feet. The sanctuary with the three balconies seats 1,325.
The ceiling treatment is decorative but not symbolic. The wooden trusses that cover steel beams are hand-stenciled in oil. The chandeliers and hand-carved figures at the end of the trusses represent the 12 apostles.
