First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma, Washington)
Church in Washington, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
First Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington is a historic congregation founded in 1873. Its current Romanesque building was designed by noted church architect Ralph Adams Cram, Mr. Earl N. Dugan (Sutton, Whitney and Dugan), who was locally in charge of construction, completed in 1925, and is a landmark of the Stadium District.[2] In 2012 the church voted to leave the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and affiliate with the more Evangelical, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.[3] The church is adjacent to Tacoma Bible Presbyterian Church, which split off of First Presbyterian in 1935 and purchased the neighboring Scottish Rite Masonic Temple which fronts on the Wright Park Arboretum.[4]
| First Presbyterian Church | |
|---|---|
| First Presbyterian Church of Tacoma | |
| |
  First Presbyterian Church | |
| 47°15′47.6″N 122°26′50.3″W | |
| Location | 20 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma, Washington |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians |
| Previous denomination | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical |
| Membership | 460 (2012) |
| Website | fpctacoma.org |
| History | |
| Founded | July, 1873 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Ralph Adams Cram |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Completed | 1925 |
| Construction cost | $500,000, equivalent to $9,179,000 in 2025 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 165 feet (50 m) (tower) |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Northwest & Alaska |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor | Dr. Eric Jacobsen[1] |
 | |
Architecture
The building was designed in the Romaneque revival style and features detailed architectural elements including terrazzo floors, ornamental iron work, and a Ludowici tile roof.[5]
Tower
The architect, Ralph Adams Cram, was a fervent Anglo-Catholic and devoted to imbuing his designs with rich symbolism. This is most visible at First Presbyterian in the decoration of the tower, which in earlier times served as a landmark for ships approaching the Port of Tacoma. It is 22 feet (6.7 m) by 26 feet (7.9 m) wide and 165 feet (50 m) tall. The tower houses a two-octave set of chimes, made by J.C. Deagan Company of Chicago, and the balustrade has a niche in the center of each side with a statue of one of the Four Evangelists. Each side of the octagonal dome bears a Christian symbol:[6]
| Direction | Symbol | Image | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Square |  | Eternal life |
| Northeast | Triangle |  | The Trinity |
| East | Greek Cross |  | The Crucifixion of Jesus |
| Southeast | Star of Beauty |  | The Five wounds of Christ |
| South | Triquetra |  | The Trinity |
| Southwest | Seven-pointed star |  | Biblical sevens: Seven churches, Seven seals, Seven trumpets, etc... |
| West | IX monogram | _I_193_4.jpg) | Greek initials of Jesus Christ surrounded by a circle symbolizing eternity |
| Northwest | Six-pointed star |  | The Creator |
