The
Reverend George Fisher organized Kalispell’s first Presbyterian congregation
with
17 members. Reverend Fisher came to Montana in 1882, preached the first sermon
in Flathead County in 1886, and organized six congregations during his career.
Under Reverend Fisher, the Presbyterians built Kalispell’s first church in
1892, located at Third Street and Second Avenue East, placing the valley’s
first bell in its steeple. As Kalispell grew, so did the congregation of the
First Presbyterian Church, and soon a new church building was planned. Architect
Fred Brinkman designed the present church to double as a community facility.
Some 600 individuals’ contributions and many local craftsmen made the
Tudor-style church a true community project. River rock, log rafters, and
decorative timbers are reminiscent of Glacier National Park’s rustic chalets.
The octagonal belfry conveys its religious identity while the original 1892 bell
survives, displayed on the church lawn. First services were held in 1926. In
1927, the long-retired Reverend Fisher, who according to pioneer Emma Ingalls
“married and buried more people than all the other preachers put together,”
dedicated this community landmark. It is one of Kalispell’s more enduring
treasures.
first Presbyterian congregation
with
17 members. Reverend Fisher came to Montana in 1882, preached the first sermon
in Flathead County in 1886, and organized six congregations during his career.
Under Reverend Fisher, the Presbyterians built Kalispell’s first church in
1892, located at Third Street and Second Avenue East, placing the valley’s
first bell in its steeple. As Kalispell grew, so did the congregation of the
First Presbyterian Church, and soon a new church building was planned. Architect
Fred 
Brinkman designed the present church to double as a community facility.
Some 600 individuals’ contributions and many local craftsmen made the
Tudor-style church a true community project. River rock, log rafters, and
decorative timbers are reminiscent of Glacier National Park’s rustic chalets.
The octagonal belfry conveys its religious identity while the original 1892 bell
survives, displayed on the church lawn. First services were held in 1926. In
1927, the long-retired Reverend Fisher, who according to pioneer Emma Ingalls
“married and buried more people than all the other preachers put together,”
dedicated this community landmark. It is one of Kalispell’s more enduring
treasures.