Page 13 - newhallfirstpresbyterian100years

Rs attendance in the Sunday School and Church seruices increased,
so did the need for the building of a church. The members realized
that to make a community church a success, that only one
denomination could be supported and thus on May 31, 1891, the Reu.
F. D. Seward, along with shcteen charter members organized the
Community Presbyterian Church. (The Record of Organization, as taken
from the 1891 Session Meeting Book is shown on the neHt page.)

The first recorded Congregational Meeting was held in the home
of Mrs. Ella Drew on June 18, 1891, and Rrticles of lncorporBtion of
the NewhBII Presbyterian Church were approued. Some of the
prouisions included: Rn annual meeting of the congregation to be held
on the 3rd Thursday in June; Fiue members would be a quorum;
Members would be elected by "those entitled" to uote ... all members
of the church in good standing could uote and "Each other adult
person who shall haue rented for at least one year, and occupied for
at least three months, a sitting or pew in the church paying therefore
quarterly in aduance shall be able to uote for the pastor and
directors"

On June 28, 1891, the Articles of Incorporation were signed
making it a legal organization and was signed by the first Board of
Directors:
Walter S. Newhall of San Francisco
J. J. Arnott
P. V. Kinnear
Alex Hume
A. I. Fraser

Soon afterwards, the Presbyterian Church Erection Board
donated $1400 to the building fund of the Newhall Church. The site for
the new church was layed out by H. Clay Needhom and included almost
all of lot 2, tract 1 059 (St. John's addition) in Newhall. Most of the
property was donated by the Newhall Land and Farming Compony. The
New England custom of hauing both a Church and a Cemetery on the
some ground was incorporated into the new site. (Note: Mrs. Wylie
wife of one of the "supply" ministers is buried here.)

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