The members of the former college church who had dissented from leaving the College Chapel, reorganized the congregation in 1888. A committee of presbytery, having ascertained that seventy persons had obtained their certificates and that a number of others signified their willingness to unite at an early date, granted permission for the organization to be known as the Central Presbyterian Church. The new church organization then leased the chapel from the trustees of Jefferson Academy.

The Rev. L. M. Lewis was installed in 1889 as Central’s first pastor. The following year, the congregation numbered 124, and plans were made to purchase the house on the northwest corner of Central Avenue and College Street for a parsonage. This property, built as a home for the president of Jefferson College, was purchased from the Canonsburg Academy for $4,000. In March 1896, Mr. Lewis asked to be released, and the same year the Reverend James M. Work was installed as pastor.

There were 178 members on the roll by 1900. The following year the session established a mission Sabbath School on East Pike Street. Industries were enlarging their facilities, and the town was growing rapidly. Many of the new workers were recent immigrants from Central and Southern Europe. Central Church "agreed to engage a young man from Seminary as missionary to the foreign speaking people of our community–to be paid thirty dollars per month for three days’ service in Canonsburg per week."

The photographs were taken on the Jefferson campus; above left, on the front lawn, about 1904, and right, behind Providence Hall. The church’s placard can be seen in the left photograph.

The twentieth century was still relatively new. In 1907 the sum of $37.62 was listed as being spent for new hitching posts. Another expense commonly encountered in the old financial records was for pumping the organ. The social life of the congregation was kept active by numerous bazaars, festivals and socials. The "common-sense, oyster and ice cream and fancy work" committees at the Aid Society bazaars raised goodly sums of money that the ladies put to use in furthering the work of the church.

The Rev. J. W. McLeod, of Belwood, Canada, was called as pastor in 1912. That year there were 76 members received by profession of faith and 14 by certificate. The congregation was reported to be in a flourishing condition. Mr. McLeod resigned in 1916, and in January 1917 the Rev. H. J. Allsup of Clarksburg, West Virginia was called.

In April 1920, the Thomas Grier property at the corner of Belmont Avenue and Pike Street was purchased for $10,000 and the old parsonage was sold to T. C. Barr for $9,000. Rev. David Dempster came to the pastorate of Central Church that year, and within a short time, plans were drawn to build a new house of worship on the Belmont Avenue property. The dedicatory service was held June 11, 1922.

David Dempster was an outstanding preacher. The sanctuary was filled to capacity on numerous occasions when he delivered special dissertations on Sunday evenings. His resignation was accepted with regret in January 1926. In March of that year, the congregation called the Rev. Leroy Myers. The year 1929 brought the beginning of the depression, and the next several years were ones of constant financial struggle for Central Church. Mr. Myers asked to be dismissed and, in 1931, the Rev. Paul J. Lux came to this pastorate from Clovis, New Mexico. Dr. Lux was well advanced in years, having been born in Germany in 1863. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees were earned there (he had a dueling scar for authenticity), but he received his theological degree in this country in 1892. He also successfully completed a three-year Ph.D. program. Through the constant effort of individuals and groups, sufficient money was raised to retire the church debt in 1932, less than ten years after the dedication of the building. Paul Lux voluntarily reduced his salary to an amount he felt would not overburden the congregation’s limited finances. The year 1934 ended with a membership of 150, all organizations reported being clear of debt, and the pastor’s salary paid in full. The financial storm had been weathered. The Rev. Dr. Lux tendered his resignation and retired from the ministry in December 1936. The Rev. Frank W. Stephens was installed as Central’s eighth pastor in 1937. Mr. Stephens received 27 new members in the first year of his pastorate, bringing the membership to 184. He was here during the difficult war years. His annual report in 1943 began, "The stress and strife of a war-mad world are to be seen and heard on every side." Two years later, he resigned to accept a call to Greely, Colorado.

Top left, Rev. James M. Work, top right, Dr. Paul J. Lux. Middle, Rev. and Mrs. Charles Crist. Bottom, Rev. David Dempster standing in front of the church on Belmont Avenue.  Click individual pictures

That same year (1954), the Rev. Carl M. Lenz, Jr. was installed as pastor. Carl and Ann Lenz came to Canonsburg as newlyweds and set up their first home in one of the church apartments at 176 West Pike Street. They were instrumental in reactivating the youth groups, and the Women’s Association was organized under the direction and urging of Mrs. Lenz. Church membership increased to 204 and finances were in excellent condition. Church benevolence giving was increased by more than fifty percent.

Mr. Lenz resigned in the fall of 1956, and a call was issued in May 1957 to the Rev. Arthur C. Haverly. During Mr. Haverly’s pastorate, the union of the United Presbyterian and the Presbyterian denominations was consummated. New boundaries were set for the presbyteries, and the four Canonsburg churches became members of the Washington Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church.

The pastoral relationship between Mr. Haverly and the congregation of the Central Presbyterian Church was dissolved in October 1959. The congregation, at the suggestion of presbytery, voted to form a yoked-field with the Muse Presbyterian Church in 1960. The Rev. Charles Crist was called to this field and installed that same year. In 1963, during his pastorate, Central celebrated her seventy-fifth anniversary. He was, from the beginning, in favor of a merger of the Canonsburg Presbyterian congregations.