Our History

A historic church, a new building

Founded in 1818, St. Charles Presbyterian Church has been a part of St. Charles since the pioneer days. Though the church underwent several divisions, first in the 1840s and again in 1867 during the Civil War, by 1948, the church reunited into one: St. Charles Presbyterian Church.  In 1952, Dr. Franc McCluer, President of Lindenwood College, was a strong member of the church and helped devise a plan to meet the needs for both the College and the Church. A lot was purchased, plans were drawn, and the building’s cornerstone was laid in 1956. However, by 1986, the school no longer needed the sanctuary space and the congregation purchased Lindenwood’s share of the property. Though a representative from the church would continue to serve on the school’s board of directors for some time, today, there are no longer any official ties to the university. A new addition to the building to improve accessibility and add classrooms and office space was completed in 2007 and the building was rededicated during the 187th Founder’s Day Celebration. 

A preschool opened in 1979 and evolved into the St. Charles Educational and Development Center in 1982, which included fourteen preschool classes, a summer program, and extended day program. The extended day and Mother’s Day Out program later merged to form a Stay n Play program. The Center closed in 2022 as staff retired and enrollment dropped. During its time, the Center served an estimated 9,000 children and their families.  

Today, the church is exploring ways to use the space previously occupied by the Educational and Development Center through the work of a Building Dreams Team.