According to church history, the First Presbyterian Church completed in Greensboro in 1846 replaced a smaller brick church built in 1832. It in turn was replaced by a successor building in the 1890s. The 1846 church is a classic example of the Greek Revival, temple-form brick churches built for Scotch-Irish Presbyterian congregations throughout the central and western Piedmont of North Carolina; few of their builders are known. As was typical, it had a pedimented front featuring pilasters in brick, which probably continued along the sides, flanking large, multi-paned double-hung windows. It was distinguished by a multi-stage tower atop the gable roof. The Session House beside it presented a miniature version, with a portico but no tower. According to Simpson’s history of the congregation, the cornerstone dated August 24, 1845, gave the names of the pastor, the elders, and the “Architects”—James D. Whitice and H. C. Worth, as well as the members of the building committee. Not surprising, the elders and building committee included several of Greensboro’s leading citizens.