The Presbyterian Church of Washington, IL, was started on Nov 16,1834. Their first meeting was held in Charles Dorsey’s store on the square. The Dorsey store was one of the first businesses on the square after William Holland settled here. The store clerk, Horace Blair, recorded the minutes for the archives.

The first church was erected in 1837 at the present site, the corner of Walnut and Elm Streets across from the First United Methodist Church. In 1850 a second building was constructed. In 1871 a large gothic structure was built, which is the present day building. It is now the oldest continuous business in Washington. In the late 1980s it was placed on the National Register of Historical Places. In early 2000 the church expanded to the south, buying the house next door, and adding onto the present structure.

Today it stands just as it did in 1871 with its wooden pews and floors. Some modern updates have been added like heating and air conditioning, but these are hidden from view. It is a Washington treasure and well worth the visit to see it as you step back in time to the year 1871.