OUR HISTORY
A brief history of First Presbyterian Church, Hampton
FPC's founder, Mr. Samuel Cumming was born in Scotland in 1816 and came with his parents to America at age seven, settling in Baltimore, Maryland.
He lost his father while young and was raised by his strict Scotch Presbyterian mother. Trained as a stonemason, Samuel came to Hampton to work on the stone fortifications at Ft. Monroe, enjoyed the people, married, opened a merchandise store, raised his family of seven children. After his first wife's death, he married Diana Armistead, had two more children, and worshiped at her home church, St. John's Episcopal.
Encouraged by area Presbyterians, Cumming requested the Norfolk Church to petition the East Hanover Presbytery to appoint a committee to organize a local congregation at a meeting in Richmond in September 1878. On March 18, 1879, the committee met with nine Hamptonians in the Cumming's home to establish the Hampton Presbyterian Church on April 6, 1879. Twelve people were accepted into membership and Samuel Cumming was unanimously elected, ordained and installed as the first Elder of the new church. Sixteen days later, the Ladies' Society was organized.
After four years of guest preachers and irregular schedules, their first pastor, the Rev. John Gray Anderson, came on April 30, 1884 and divided his time among four area churches. Hampton worshiped the first and third Sundays of each month in the Hampton Court House.
In 1885, the first church building was erected on Chapel Street and later sold to Central United Methodist Church which is still their location today.
The next building on West Queen Street was dedicated May 26, 1895 and remained the place of worship until August 1952, at which time FPC moved to our present educational building at the intersection of Victoria and South Armistead Avenue. Groundbreaking for the sanctuary was on March 19, 1961 and the first worship service was two years later. The bell in the tower was given by Sunday School children and dedicated on March 17, 1963.
With strong lay and clergy leadership and committed members, FPC flourished through vital worship and missionary endeavors at home and abroad. Known for its healthy youth and children's ministry, the church grew in meaningful ways. The latest addition to the building was completed in 1999 with a new commons area, an elevator, a large kitchen, and several handicapped accessibility additions made the church a place where all can come.
The Rev. Eric Peltz, the 16th pastor, was welcomed in October 2022 and installed the following June.
We are an active church, moving forward into new realms of Christian service and faith. Truly, we are “Shining Christ's Light, Sharing Christ's Love.”
