"Sited on a rise a few blocks from the Cape Fear River, First Presbyterian Church and its tall steeple are familiar landmarks in the silhouette of Wilmington. While its location provides a vantage point on the activity of the present-day Port City, the roots of the church reach back considerably farther.

In 1760, the Presbyterian minister residing in Wilmington, James Tate, established a school and ministered informally to a group of Presbyterians in the town. In 1785, the State Legislature incorporated "the Protestant Presbyterian Church of Wilmington," and in April 1817 the Fayetteville Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America officially received the congregation into its rolls. As a result, all three dates 1760, 1785 and 1817 have been celebrated at various times as the founding date of the congregation. . ."

Wrightsville Beach Magazine (12/29/2009)

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