Cornerstone for New Ft. Thomas Church Placed

The placing of the cornerstone for the new First Presbyterian Church, South Ft. Thomas Avenue and Avenel Place, Ft. Thomas, took place Sunday afternoon before a large crowd.

Stanley C. Moebus, Campbell County attorney, was the principal speaker. "We are gathered to celebrate the culmination of one of the most important steps of many taken in the development of this church," Moebus stated.

"In 1923, Mrs. Albert Hawes of Covington expressed a desire to her local pastor at Millersburg that a Presbyterian church be founded at Ft. Thomas, 'because this was the home of her son and family,'" she said. "The Rev. Smylie, chairman of the Home Mission Board, was contacted and arrangements were made by the Rev. Mr. Vance of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, Covington, for a meeting of Ft. Thomas Presbyterians.

"On April 16, 1923, the first meting was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Poyntz. Later a petition was presented to the Presbytery asking consent for a church in Ft. Thomas. Twenty-six names accompanied the petition. On June 3, 1923, the church was officially organized by the Rev. W.O. Cochran of Augusta, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Vance. On July 24, 1924, the Rev. Andres was installed as pastor. The development of the church from that time to the present reads like fictions," Moebus added.

The Rev. Herbert Hezlep, pastor of the church, placed the cornerstone, with the aid of Walter A. Farrell, president of the board of deacons; Brent Peacher of the Wolter Construction Co., and E.C. Landberg, architect. The Rev. Mr. Hezlep said the edifice would be completed by Thanksgiving Day.

The church will be of colonial design and will seat 250 persons. It will be modern in every respect and contain rooms for adult, primary and intermediate Sunday school classes, a pastor's study and prayer room.

A concert was given by the Highlands High School band. Invocation was by the Rev. Jesse M. Rogers pastor of the Ft. Thomas Baptist Church; scripture reading by the Rev. Alfred B. Schnake, pastor of Christ Evangelical Church, Ft. Thomas; prayer by the Rev. C. Graham Lacy of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, Covington; prayer of consecration, the Rev. Edwin N. Rock, executive secretary of Louisville Presbytery, and benediction by the Rev. William P. Fryman, pastor of Highland Methodist Church, Ft. Thomas.

The Times-Star, Monday, August 5, 1940