The Millwood Community Presbyterian Church
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In the heart of Millwood's historic downtown sits Millwood Community Presbyterian Church. The neighborhood participated in services at the former Millwood Community Mission, located in the local school, before the church was finished in 1923. The first service was held in August of that same year, welcoming its neighbors from the surrounding areas including paper mill employees and their families.
The Millwood Presbyterian Church was deeply connected to the mill and remained a vital part of Millwood's community through the twentieth-century. Not only were most of its members mill employees, but the church itself was built on land bought from the Inland Empire Paper Company. Also, the church's cornerstone was donated by the company and placed in the foundation in the fall of 1923. Services were held every week on Sunday, some including special music performances by members of the congregation. Seasonal events, such as Easter, brought the locals together to celebrate at the church. An especially notable example of the church's relationship to the community was shown at the end of WWII, when the church added sixteen gold stars to its service flag for the members of the community that had fallen during the war.
The original church faces south towards Euclid Avenue. It has a brown-brick exterior and brick-lined arches. The brickwork and woodwork remains the same as when it was built, though the windows and doors have been replaced. Additions were introduced throughout the years. A west wing was added in 1927 and a pipe organ was installed ten years later. Add-ons to the structure were built throughout the 40s and 50s. Millwood Community Presbyterian Church still holds services weekly and stands as a link to Millwood's history.
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The paper mill's neighborhood church, c.1923
The Millwood Community Presbyterian Church held their first service in August, 1923. Image courtesy and used with the permission of Vikkie Naccarato, Millwood Washington History Enthusiasts.
The welcoming doors of the old Millwood Community Presbyterian Church, 2015
The original section of the church faces south towards the tracks. Image photographed by Hannah Bancroft.
The beautiful brickwork of the original Presbyterian church, 2015
Many add-ons were made throughout the years, but the original entrance to the church remains on the south side of the church. Image photographed by Hannah Bancroft.