First Presbyterian Church in Frankfort Worships elsewhere as tower is unsafe

“We also knew it was time to do something about it when pieces of brick would kind of like pop out because of the pressure,” said Rev. JT Silence, the pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Frankfort. Congregants at the 175-year-old landmark have not gathered for Sunday mass inside their building for months, WKYT reported, after engineers discovered the church’s tower was twisting and no longer structurally safe.

The crisis at First Presbyterian, one of the most historic structures in Kentucky’s state capitol, began when church leadership first noticed issues with the tower and visible cracking in the masonry. The 175-year-old building has long been a key part of downtown Frankfort’s spiritual and architectural history. Rev. Silence contacted Frankfort architect and historic preservation expert Jen Williamson, principal at Spangler Williamson Architecture and Engineering, to investigate the damage before it worsened. What Williamson’s team found when they opened up the finished materials furred on the interior brick alarmed the structural engineer: significant movement within the tower and the potential for further collapse. By September, officials determined the building was no longer safe for worship, forcing the congregation to vacate the premises they had occupied for more than a century.

Bricks Popping Out Under Pressure

“A lot of grief. On the one hand, it’s, quote, only a building, but at the same time, it’s a historic building… The building is where the, the memories take place,” he said.

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The danger posed by the compromised tower extends well beyond the church walls into the surrounding streets of downtown Frankfort. West Main Street remains closed in both directions around the property to keep pedestrians and vehicles clear of the potential fall zone. Rev. Silence explained that officials established a safety perimeter matching the tower’s full height in any direction. “If the tower were to fall its entire length in any one direction, that’s how wide the perimeter is,” he said. “It’s not likely that the tower would fall that way, but it’s just the safest measure for us to take.”

Engineers traced the structural failure to a combination of factors that accumulated over the building’s long history. Several mid-century building alterations, combined with the sheer weight of the tower rising dozens of feet above the sanctuary, led to the cracks that now threaten the 175-year-old structure. The twisting motion of the tower indicated deep structural compromise that put the entire building at risk. When Williamson’s team peeled back the interior brick facings, they discovered how much movement had occurred and the potential for further movement, raising immediate concerns among the structural engineers overseeing the assessment.

Worshipping Together at South Frankfort Presbyterian

While the physical fate of the tower hangs in the balance, the spiritual life of the congregation continues at nearby South Frankfort Presbyterian Church. Rev. Marissa Carver, pastor at South Frankfort Presbyterian, welcomed the displaced congregation without hesitation, offering their sanctuary for Sunday services.

Rev. Carver, pastor at South Frankfort Presbyterian Church, said her congregation talks about being welcoming all the time, and that welcoming their sister congregation was a no-brainer.

The two congregations now share worship space as crews prepare for the delicate work ahead. The arrangement allows First Presbyterian members to maintain their community bonds despite the physical separation from their historic home. Over the next three to four months, workers will dismantle the tower from the top down, carefully salvaging as much of the historical brick, stone, and stained glass as possible for the eventual reconstruction. The salvage operation aims to preserve the irreplaceable materials that have defined the building’s character for generations. The church has applied for several grants to help fund the rebuild, though the full scope and cost of returning the tower to its former state remain uncertain.

Williamson expressed cautious optimism about preserving the landmark that has defined the neighborhood for generations. “A lot of people here feel strongly and appreciate the historic church,” she said. “It’s very much in the nature of what this neighborhood is like, what they contribute, hearing the bells ring… Everyone would be sad to lose it. So, we are hopeful that we can get to a point where it can be reconstructed.” The preservation of the stained glass and historic brick remains a priority throughout the dismantling process.

For the parishioners of First Presbyterian, the coming months will bring the dismantling of the tower from the top while they hold onto the hope that the historic structure can one day be reconstructed over Frankfort’s West Main Street. The road closure and construction will continue to affect downtown traffic patterns throughout the dismantling period.