Washington Presbyterian Church

We worship at 11:15 each Sunday morning, with Sunday school at 10:00. The Washington Presbyterian Church of Washington, Georgia, was organized in early 1790 (exact date unknown). In April, 1790, the Providence, Smyrna, and Washington Presbyterian churches issued a call to John Springer to be their pastor, which he accepted. At that time he was president of Cambridge College in Ninety-Six, South Ca

rolina and a supply preacher in South Carolina and Georgia. On July 22, 1790, Springer became the first Presbyterian minister to be ordained in Georgia. The ordination took place under a poplar tree one mile east of the present church building. The tree has become famous as “the Presbyterian Poplar”. Wood from that tree was used to make the cross that now hangs in the chancel as well as the offering plates. Presentation gavels for distinguished speakers in the pulpit are made from the same wood. The Sanctuary was erected in 1825. It was a single room building with two front doors. The vestibule and steeple were added in 1839 and the front porch was added in the 1890’s. The fellowship hall was added in 1940. Alexander Hamilton Webster was stated supply, 1824-1827. He was serving as rector of the Academy (in Washington) during that time and accepted a call to be pastor, but died in an epidemic before he could be installed as pastor. He was buried between the two front doors of the church. When the vestibule was added in 1839, his grave stone was elevated to its present position in the narthex. The Hook & Hastings organ, Opus 1382, was installed in 1888. It was manually pumped until this century when an electric blower was added. It was completely reconditioned in 1990. The following ministers have served this church in its 200+ years:
John Springer, 1790-1798
Alexander Hamilton Webster, 1824-1827
Nathan Hoyt, 1828-1830
Samuel Jones Cassels, 1832-1837
Francis Robert Goulding, 1837-1838
George H. Petrie, 1839-1851
Isasac S. K Axson, 1854-1855
John Jones, 1856
G. Boggs, 1857-1859
James Bullock Dunwoody, 1859-1865
Edward M. Green, 1866-1871
William Smith Bean, 1872-1878
John Jones, 1879 [for the second time]
James D. Brown, 1885-1892
Samuel Jackson Cartledge, 1894-1901
David Smith McAllister, 1903-1907
Francis Gardiner Hartman, 1915-1925
William Salter Porter, 1926-1930
Angus Guy McInnis, 1930-1936
Stewart H. Long, 1937-1943
Edward B. Cooper, 1946-1951
B. Munro, 1954-1956
Henry T Close, 1957-1960
Charles E. Cook, Jr., 1962-1967
C. Patrick Griffin, Jr., 1968-1973
Robert P. Anderson, 1975-1978
Stanton H. (Stan) Sizemore, 1979-1990
Jesse and Arlene Patrick, 1991-1996
Harry Hannah, 1997-2000
Larry Kennon, 2001
Holly Shoaf-O’Kula, Interim, 2003
Randall A. Hardy, 2004-2007
Glen Kohlhagen, 2008-Present

Four sons of former pastors are known to have entered the Presbyterian ministry. The are Samuel Edward Axson (sic) (1833-1884), whose father, Isaac Axson, was stated supply here 1853-1857; George Laurens Petrie (1840-1931), who was born while his father, George J. Petrie, was pastor here 1839-1851; Samuel Davies Boggs (1845-1913) whose father, George Washington Boggs, was pastor here, 1857-1859; and Samuel Antoine Cartledge (1903-?) whose father, Samuel Jackson Cartledge, was pastor here, 1894-1901.