First Presbyterian Church celebrating 150 years and counting

June 2, 1861, a month before the first governor of the Territory of Nevada arrived in Carson City, the Presbyterian General Assembly established a new church, the First Presbyterian Church of Carson City. In May 1864, they completed a church building on Nevada Street, which has become the oldest continually operating church in the state.

On Sunday, the congregation will celebrate its 150th anniversary - years that have seen many changes to the community it has served and many leaders and famous citizens worshiping inside its walls.

One of those was the family of Orion Clemens, the first territorial secretary, a founding member of the church and the brother of Samuel Clemens, who is better known as Mark Twain.

With the church under construction, Clemens convinced Twain to donate proceeds from his annual "Third House" lecture lampooning state government and the Legislature, to raise the money to finish the roof of the church.

"We don't have it recorded that (Twain) ever worshipped here," said the Rev. Bruce Kochsmeier, pastor of the historic church since 1995. But he did raise about $200, which Kochsmeier said translates to about $2,000 in modern dollars.

"Orion probably said, 'Sam, why don't you donate the proceeds,'" Kochsmeier speculated, "and probably added 'Mom would want that.'"

Another Clemens of note in the history of the church is Jennie Clemens, Orion's daughter and Twain's beloved niece. The 10-year-old girl had been saving for the first pulpit Bible when she died of spotted fever on Feb. 1, 1864. The Presbyterian women donated the rest of the money and dedicated the Bible in her memory. The Jennifer Clemens Bible is preserved in a display case in the church.

Since the early days of the congregation, the church building has seen many changes.

"It's kind of a Winchester Mystery church," Kochsmeier said. "Over the years, it's been added onto a lot."

Today, the First Presbyterian Church of Carson City has three addresses. The original, historic church is on North Nevada Street. The church office faces West Musser Street, and the newest address - the sanctuary completed in 2008 - faces North Division Street. Various wings have been constructed over the years, including one that served as the original 1960s nursing school for Western Nevada Community College.

A belltower was the first addition, constructed in 1894. The brick portion of the tower still marks the historic entrance, but it's wooden cupola has long since crumbled. Leakage into the brick tower has been a continual battle for the congregation.

"The old church, the cost of restoring it would be greater than what the new sanctuary cost," Kochsmeier said.

Although the church is best known for its connection to Mark Twain and the Clemens family, Kochsmeier describes that connection as a "bad dream."

"That's why we've been through so much (to get the new sanctuary built)."

After a process of negotiation and compromise, plans to build a new sanctuary without the drafts and leaks and crumbling bricks of the old building moved forward after the 1948 portion was declared nonhistorical by the State Historic Preservation Office in Carson City. That cleared the way for it's demolition and the new building.

One of the conditions was that the new space had to be immediately adjoining the historical structure, Kochsmeier explained, opening a new door in the sanctuary that revealed an old door into original church. That door will be open for viewing the old building during Sunday's sesquicentennial celebration.

Inside the historic sanctuary, Kochsmeier pointed out the stained glass windows.

"A lot of this is not original. Some windows were added since 1864."

A historic interior photo shows the east wall with a pulpit instead of two of the four windows now on that wall. The stained glass came later too.

"Prior (to the stained glass) it was just old-fashioned, wavy glass."

The church has retained visages of the historic buildings for use in the new structure. The rose window in the west wall was preserved from the 1948 building before its demolition. Pipes for the old organ were brought over and mounted behind the pulpit and a baptismal font has been in use for decades.

Although the historic features of the building are important, what really makes the church are the people, Kochsmeier said.

"There are historical visages here and there," he said. "Most of all, is the continuity of the people. We have people who have been members 30 to 40 years and families back to the early 20th century. Styles of music changed, but the communal identity and purpose has remained the same over 150 years."

The Sunday following the anniversary celebration, the congregation will "begin to celebrate the next 150 years," Kochsmeier said. "We're leaving the building. We'll disperse throughout the community doing projects. ... We'll be out there saying 'here's the church. We're coming to you.'"