Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church

History of Our Beginning

Prior to 1954 the religious needs of the Sandy Springs Community had been served by the Methodists and Baptists, both having established churches shortly after the community was settled in the mid-1850's. Presbyterian families living in the area were obliged to either join the local churches or else commute relatively long distances to Presbyterian churches in either Roswell or Atlanta. The closest church was Peachtree Road Presbyterian Church in Buckhead, later to be relocated on Roswell Road and renamed Peachtree Presbyterian Church. However, several families, who later became charter members of Mt. Vernon, commuted as far as First Presbyterian Church in mid-town Atlanta.

The Atlanta Presbytery Committee on Church Extension foresaw the need for a new Presbyterian Church in this part of the metro area as early as 1947, when they conducted an extensive survey of the Sandy Springs Community. As a result of this survey, and the rapid development of Sandy Springs as a suburban residential area in the early 50's, the Presbyterian Officers Association formed a committee and provided funds for the purchase of property suitable for establishing a new church in the Sandy Springs area. One of the officers on this committee was an elder from Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, Robert F. Head, Sr., the father of Clark Head who is presently a member of Mt. Vernon. Mr. Head was the central figure in negotiating the purchase in 1953 of the Burdett property on which our church is now located. The purchase price was $30,000 for the old Southern-style, white-columned mansion and 7-1/2 acres of land.

The first active steps toward organizing a new church came during a preliminary meeting of interested Presbyterians at Hammond School on January 31, 1954. A new survey of area Presbyterians was made on February 14 with the assistance of the Peachtree Road, Trinity, Roswell and First Presbyterian Churches. As a result of this work, forty people met for the first worship service on Sunday, February 28, 1954, in the auditorium of Hammond School. Dr. E. T. Wilson, then pastor of Peachtree Road Presbyterian Church, preached the sermon on the subject "Christ Builds His Church." A steering committee was also appointed at that service. Of the seven men appointed to this committee, Stanley Stendera is the only one of the group still a member of Mt. Vernon.

In the weeks that followed, the yet unnamed church continued to meet in Hammond School under the leadership of supply ministers provided by Presbytery. Then on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1954, the budding congregation held its first service in the two large front rooms of the old Burdett mansion on the present church property. Dr. William H. McCorkle, who later became Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, U.S., preached the sermon that day.

The following Sunday, the congregation met with an Atlanta Presbytery committee chaired by Dr. Harry Fifield and presented a petition signed by 95 people requesting permission to organize a new Presbyterian church. This permission was granted, and the organization took place on May 2, 1954. At the May 2nd meeting, four elders and six deacons were elected. One of the deacons was Stan Stendera, who had served on the Steering Committee. The congregation extended a call to Rev. Harold W. Minor to become the first .pastor. At this same meeting, the name Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church was adopted for the new church.

In the subsequent weeks and months, the church members set about the task of making the old mansion a more suitable church building, accomplishing much of the work in do-it-yourself fashion. But the rapidly growing church was soon "bursting at the seams," and the need for a more adequate assembly room became immediately apparent. As a result, in the summer of 1954, a Planning Committee was appointed, and J. H. Gailey, a charter member of the church, was retained as architect to prepare plans for Fellowship Hall. After a successful building fund campaign, ground was broken on March 6, 1955. This building provided adequate space for the assembled church for several years, but it was not long before additional educational facilities were needed. Mt. Vernon has always held a special attraction for young families, and this was especially true in the early years when Sandy Springs was growing rapidly as a residential community. These young families were participating in the "baby boom" of the 50's and 60's, and it wasn't long until Church School space was extremely critical. Every suitable nook and cranny in the old building, including the pastor's study, and even the kitchen in Fellowship Hall, were pressed into service for Sunday Church School use. As a result, in 1958 a new Education Building was built to house the Church School. At the time, it comprised one of the finest educational facilities in the Atlanta area, and during the peak years, every classroom was occupied with ten to twenty-five children and adults during the Sunday School hour. This outstanding facility was later used on an interim basis for an excellent community cause when Hammond School burned, and several grades occupied our Education Building while the school was being rebuilt.

A recreation building, named Gailey Hall, was also completed in 1958. For several years, Gailey Hall housed the Community Action Center (CAC), a joint effort by a number of churches and synagogues in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody to provide emergency assistance to needy people in these areas.

The congregation soon began extensive and detailed efforts to plan for a sanctuary, more classrooms, and expanded office space. In May 1965, the Building Planning Committee presented to the Session its recommendations and projected costs. A Building Planning Council was named to continue the work. At a July 1965 congregational meeting, Harold E. Wagoner of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was retained as the architect. Dr. J. H. Gailey was named associate architect.

A major goal of the planning committees was to create a setting where people would feel like a community of believers worshiping God together. They worked to achieve this atmosphere within the parameters and preliminary budget that had been determined for the seating capacity of the sanctuary, for additional classrooms, and for adequate office space.

They studied worship from different perspectives. They followed guidelines in Scripture, including such passages as the opening verses of Isaiah 6. They visited facilities that they thought provided appropriate settings. They talked with members of Mount Vernon. They consulted with people experienced in various fields related to church design and reviewed printed materials.

In a report to the Mount Vernon Session in July 1965, the Building Planning Council suggested that "the cross should dominate the interior design," especially the area of the pulpit, baptismal font, and communion table. The large hanging cross and the massive communion table in the shape of a cross implement this concept. For regular communion services, the twelve elders serving communion are seated around the table while all worshipers partake of the elements

At an April 1966 congregational meeting, a contract with Austin Organs, Inc., of Hartford, Connecticut, was approved.

In October, the congregation approved plans for the sanctuary building. Working drawings were completed the following summer. The congregation approved construction financing in February 1968, and the first worship service in the new sanctuary building was held on October 12, 1969. The new organ was used for the first time during a service on November 23, 1969. The dedication of the new facilities was on December 7, 1969.

Mt. Vernon's facilities development stands today as a testimony to what can be accomplished by a dedicated group of Christian people who trust in God and go forward in faith.

See Christian Symbolism at Mount Vernon for more information on symbolism in the sanctuary.

See a PDF of The Pipe Organ at Mount Vernon for more information on the Austin organ. (10MB)