We held our official cornerstone laying ceremony in 1950, but by then we had been established for almost 100 years. In 1866, the Richland Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church was officially founded in Richland, present-day Rosemark. An old newspaper clipping remarks, “Richland, Shelby County, Tennessee, is located about 25 miles northeast of Memphis. The little village of Rosemark, gathered abou
t the church. It is of very recent growth. The name, Richland, was no doubt given to the church from the character of the soil in that section, it being one of the finest farming sections in West Tennessee.”
The people of the Richland ARP Church have always been characterized as possessing “fine character,” but the church’s position on the land has little to do with it. Belief in the infallible, inerrant Word of God and a warm hospitality to all visitors have earned the church its reputation. Services were first held at the home of Robert McCalla as early as 1856, and then in the school house at the crossing of the roads. Ten years later, this is where the church was erected. It was remodeled in 1900 and 1918, and in 1919, a sanctuary was added to the east side of the building, with the original portion designated for Sunday School classes. The cornerstone laying ceremony in 1950 was followed by a dedication service on November 22, 1951, for the structure as it stands today. In 1952, the first sixteen beautifully stained glass memorial windows were installed. With that installation, all windows in the front, back and sides of the sanctuary, as well as the Session Room and Ladies Bible Class room, were complete. The new manse, located at 9389 Rosemark Road, was built and dedicated in 1955. After those renovations, Richland ARP Church stood still for almost 40 years. Then in 1993, a massive addition was completed and many rooms in the original church were repurposed. The original kitchen became the official storage kitchen and floral potting room. The fellowship hall was partitioned into two Sunday School rooms with a connecting hall to the central part of the church. The pastor’s office became part of the large nursery area, which includes a toddler area, mother’s room and area for Children’s Church. This recent addition allowed for new and larger restrooms, a larger kitchen, fellowship hall, and church office, as well as a more spacious pastor’s study. Outside the church’s walls remain two memorial gardens, beautifully kept and continually admired by the congregation and its visitors.
