History of First Central

The first pastor came to Omaha with his family December 25, 1855. He was the Rev. Reuben Gaylord, who consented to come to Omaha after preaching a trial sermon in October of 1855. He did so at the request of Lt. Gov. Richardson (Richardson County), and Dr. George Miller (Miller Park, in Omaha), with the help of the Rev. George G. Rice, Congregational minister of Council Bluffs, Iowa. There has been a pastor and congregation of First Congregational, and then First Central, in Omaha since that humble beginning in 1855.

First Central Congregational has been housed in four different buildings from 1856 to the present day. Initially meeting in the Nebraska Territorial Capitol, the first church building, completed in 1865, was at 16th and Farnam. In 1879, a larger church was constructed at 19th and Chicago, where the congregation remained until 1920. Architect George B. Prinz began plans for the current building in 1917, but construction was delayed due to World War I, and was not completed until 1920. A merger occurred with St. Mary's Avenue Congregational in 1916, and the first joint service was held at the newly completed First Central, 421 Harney Street, in 1920, in what is now Memorial Hall. Easter Sunday, 1922, the current Sanctuary was completed and dedicated.

A second merger of congregations occurred in 1971, when First United Church of Christ became a part of first Central. The minister, the Rev. Donald Cassiday, (still a member of this congregation) and the congregation of sixty members became a part of First Central Congregational, United Church of Christ, at that time.

It has been 85 years that we have called this building our home. In that time, we have had nine senior ministers. Dr. Frank Smith was the first when we moved into this building, and Rev. Winston Baldwin, our present minister, has been here since 1995. We have had twenty associate ministers over the years.

This history is a continuing legacy of our faith.