History of the Town Clock Church
Cool Timeline
The Friends of the Town Clock Church was established as a charitable organization committed to the ongoing maintenance, beautification, fundraising and long-term planning for the historical building. More information can be found here.
Although not the only flood New Albany ever suffered, the 1937 flood caused significant damage to the church. The lower level and the undercroft of the church were submerged, leaving behind a layer of mud and river silt once the water receded. .
The original steeple of the Second Baptist Church was struck by lightning several times since erected but on June 28, 1915, a lightning strike split the steeple in two. It was removed two weeks later and the unfazed clock tower was capped.
On December 10, an African American congregation, now the Colored Baptist Church (established 1867), purchased the building from the Second Presbyterian Church, and was named the Second Baptist Church afterwards. It is thought that members of the African American community had already established a strong emotional and physical tie to…Read More
President Lincoln was assassinated and although the Civil War officially ended on April 9, slavery continued in Kentucky until end of December. For the next few years, former slaves flood New Albany as well as other towns along the Ohio River in search of employment and a new life.
In the month of January, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into order. Sometime after, Levi Coffin, the Quaker often nicknamed “The President of the Underground Railroad” for the amount of slaves that passed through his care came to New Albany in hopes of raising money for assisting the newly…Read More
On February 3, E. Mann was appointed as superintendent of a new mission to help families excluded from all evangelical influences of the New Albany churches, and so poor children in New Albany were provided with clothing and shoes as the women of the church began sewing garments. After the…Read More
As the American Civil War began, Second Presbyterian established a mission church in New Albany. It was located on State Street between Green and Clay in the area of West Union, where the majority of African Americans lived.
John Guest Atterbury, from Detroit, Michigan, was installed as pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, the same day as the dedication of the new edifice. He served from August of 1851 to July, 1866. Shortly after his installment, a religious revival took place at Second Presbyterian. At the invitation of Atterbury,…Read More
Construction of the original Second Presbyterian Church began, located near the banks of the Ohio River at the southeast corner of Third and Main streets, and would reach completion in 1852. The architect of the Second Presbyterian Church was church member Isaac P. Smith, who lived across the street and…Read More