Timber Ridge History

History of Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church

Timber Ridge, the oldest rural church and second oldest church in Greene County, was founded by the early Scotch-Irish pioneers who settled here while this area was still a part of North Carolina. The congregation was organized by 1785 or 1786 and became an official Presbyterian body in 1787, with the Reverend James Balch as pastor.

The church was first called Sinking Springs, and was located a few miles west of the present site, but was moved to a log cabin building at the present location about 1800, at which time the name was changed to Timber Ridge, probably from the old Timber Ridge Church in the Shenandoah Valley from where many of the congregation had come.

About 15 years later the congregation was divided over doctrine, and a second church was erected nearby. This building later burned and the congregations reunited. By 1853, a large brick building was erected of brick made on the site, supposedly by slave labor.

Congregational harmony was disrupted by the Civil War, but was later restored and by 1886 the present sanctuary was erected of brick from the larger old church.

Several renovations have been made to the present church building: In 1948, a narthex, educational wing and fellowship hall were added while remodeling the sanctuary; In 1962 the sanctuary was again remodeled to add the choir loft; The educational wing and fellowship hall were almost doubled in size in 1994.

Additional land, northeast of the church, was purchased in 1961, where in 1973 a three bedroom manse was constructed. A pavilion was also constructed behind the manse in 2002.

The founders and early members of Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church had to endure many hardships and overcome huge obstacles to establish a church where believers would worship for generations to come. In that journey, they had a strong sense of faith and purpose with each succeeding generation building upon the past.