About Us

The First Presbyterian Church of Rolla, MO was established in 1864. The present building was built in 1962. It is located on a spacious property that is contiguous with Ber Juan Park, a large, multi-acre city park that includes a public swimming water park, tennis court, playground, and 2-mile paved walking/exercise path. A new city recreational facility is currently to the north of our Church.

An aerial view of the church is shown in Figure 2, with 10th Street to the south and an historic portion of Ber Juan Park to the northwest of the church. The church structure is comprised of the sanctuary, office wing, Sadler Chapel, Sadler lounge, a small library, meeting rooms, an Education wing, and the Fellowship Hall.

Figure 2. Aerial view of First Presbyterian Church, Rolla, MO.

The church has recently undergone major remodeling that included the Fellowship Hall, education wing, office wing, and the Sadler Chapel. During this process, the church was also made partially handicap accessible (the second floor to the Education wing is not wheelchair accessible).

The Sadler Chapel seats 70 and is used for small services and by the Church preschool.

(a)

(b)

Figure 3. Interior views of the Sadler Chapel from the front (a), and rear (b).

An exterior view of the sanctuary is shown in Figure 4. And, Figure 5 is a view of the Sadler Chapel.

Figure 4. An exterior view of the sanctuary showing the stained glass windows.

Figure 5. View of the grounds from outside the Sadler Chapel, with the Education wing and Fellowship Hall to the right, hidden behind the oak tree.

Rolla, Missouri:

Rolla, nestled in the Ozarks, is approximately ninety minutes from St. Louis on Interstate 44. Rolla has a large professional community, which is a reflection of being the county seat, having a large regional medical center, a four-year university that is part of the University of Missouri system, and a large U.S. Geological Survey facility.

The public school system in Rolla is highly regarded within the community, with three elementary schools, a middle school (grades 5-7), junior high school(grades 8-9), and a senior high school. The middle, junior, and senior high schools have recently won national awards as Blue Ribbon Schools. There are two private schools: St Patrick's (Catholic) School has classes from K-8, and the Lutheran School has classes from K-6. Active and widespread parent involvement in the schools has contributed greatly to the quality of education, and teacher enthusiasm. Rolla also is home to the Rolla Technical Institute, which offers various technical degrees in medical and technical fields, and is used by the regional community college for classes. In addition to the University of Missouri-Rolla, (known for its Engineering Schools), several other colleges such as Drury (Springfield based), Columbia (Columbia based), and Webster (St. Louis based) all have active evening colleges.

There are many cultural and outdoor activities in the areas that also contribute greatly to the quality of life in Rolla. The Ozark Actors Theater, founded 13 years ago, features productions with professional and aspiring actors, as well as talented people from the community. The Ozarks offers a rich diversity of outdoor activities from trout fishing and canoeing on numerous streams and rivers, to hiking and biking. The Lake of the Ozarks is a ninety-minute drive for swimming, fishing, sailing, boating, outlet-mall shopping, and golf.