How it all started...
The Dundalk Presbyterian Church, which has occupied three different sites over it's years, is the oldest continuously functioning church in Dundalk, MD.
Our history beings in early December 1885 when a Sabbath School was established in the home of the Fahnestocks, in the St. Helena/Dundalk area. The first session of Sabbath School was held on January 12, 1896. And on October 6, 1897 a petition asking for the organization of a church at St. Helena, Baltimore County Maryland was presented to the Presbytery of Baltimore. The following week a committee form the Presbytery came to St. Helena to officially launch St. Helena Church. 20 people became members at that time.
On November 18, 1897 a call extended to Reverend W.C. Maloy to be the pastor of our church. Soon after Reverend Maloy was called the congregation moved into a little chapel on Patapsco Avenue in Dundalk. Ours was the first church in the community and since there were 21 different denominations represented, it was commonly called "The Community Church".
As the church grew a new building was needed. On November 6, 1919 The Bethlehem Steel Company gave property at St. Helena and Willow Spring Road in Dundalk to be the new site for the church. The church was built and then dedicated on November 21, 1920. The church continued to grow and in early 1956 the Session requested permission to sell the St. Helena property. With permission granted the church went on with plans to build a new church on the four acre lot at the corner of Merritt Blvd. and Stansbury Road (later to be named Peninsula Expressway). And at a congregational meeting in January 1959 a vote was taken to change the name to "The Dundalk Presbyterian Church". The first official worship service in our current building was held on March 29, 1959.
Many years later our church still stands to preach the gospel to the community of Dundalk.
Our history beings in early December 1885 when a Sabbath School was established in the home of the Fahnestocks, in the St. Helena/Dundalk area. The first session of Sabbath School was held on January 12, 1896. And on October 6, 1897 a petition asking for the organization of a church at St. Helena, Baltimore County Maryland was presented to the Presbytery of Baltimore. The following week a committee form the Presbytery came to St. Helena to officially launch St. Helena Church. 20 people became members at that time.
On November 18, 1897 a call extended to Reverend W.C. Maloy to be the pastor of our church. Soon after Reverend Maloy was called the congregation moved into a little chapel on Patapsco Avenue in Dundalk. Ours was the first church in the community and since there were 21 different denominations represented, it was commonly called "The Community Church".
As the church grew a new building was needed. On November 6, 1919 The Bethlehem Steel Company gave property at St. Helena and Willow Spring Road in Dundalk to be the new site for the church. The church was built and then dedicated on November 21, 1920. The church continued to grow and in early 1956 the Session requested permission to sell the St. Helena property. With permission granted the church went on with plans to build a new church on the four acre lot at the corner of Merritt Blvd. and Stansbury Road (later to be named Peninsula Expressway). And at a congregational meeting in January 1959 a vote was taken to change the name to "The Dundalk Presbyterian Church". The first official worship service in our current building was held on March 29, 1959.
Many years later our church still stands to preach the gospel to the community of Dundalk.