Located between the old Powell Knitting Mill and the campus of Spartanburg Methodist College, Powell Presbyterian Church exists as a part of the Powell Mill village that was built in the 1930s.
In 1938, Powell Knitting Mill was running full time with a mill village that included 54 houses, two stores, a ball field, but no church. Mrs. Hugh (Ethel) Pollard (a member of the Second Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg) realized there was a need for a Sunday School at the Powell Knitting Mill and brought the idea to others.
One Sunday during August, Mrs. Pollard, the Reverend Charles Mclean, and several others drove out to the Powell Mill village where they stopped and prayed, seeking God’s direction for a Sunday School in the area. The people in the group felt God’s presence.
After their prayer, as they drove back through the village they stopped and talked to Mr. Eubanks at his cold drink stand. He told them the people who lived in the village indeed were in need of God’s word. While the men were talking to Mr. Eubanks, local children gathered and Mrs. Pollard began leading them in a few choruses of Bible songs. A few adults were there as well. So, they asked them to all return the following Sunday for more songs and teaching.
A regular Sunday School meeting was then held each week with Rev. Mclean teaching the adults and Mrs. Pollard teaching the children. The number of people attending continued to increase each week until there were about 30 adults and 35 children. After several weeks of meetings, Mr. J.H. Lambright offered the use of his home for the services.
As the group grew and meetings continued, the need grew for a real church building. So, Rev. J.D. Henderson and Rev. Mclean arranged to meet with the owner of the mill, Mr. Ralph Powell. After several meetings, Mr. Powell made a donation of a 150×250-foot lot for the construction of a church building.
Employees of Powell Mill began to give money so they could construct a building.
On June 1, 1939, construction began on the church building with many of the people of the mill village giving freely of their labor. Then, on August 5, 1939, the people of the Powell Mill village opened their church; which included a 30×32-foot auditorium and six Sunday school rooms.
Growth and changes continued following the construction of the church, some of these events are highlighted below:
- In 1945, land was donated by Mr. Powell for the construction of a manse
- In 1949, five new Sunday school rooms were added, along with a basement that served as the social hall, restrooms, and a heating system.
- In 1955, there was a new dedication and cornerstone installed after the church had been bricked over.
- During the seventies, the sanctuary was remodeled with new windows installed, carpeting, and paneling.
- In 1973, the congregation voted to separate from the Presbyterian Church in the United States due to the long-developing theological liberalism they saw there. Powell Presbyterian Church then joined with other Presbyterian churches who believed in the deity of Jesus Christ and the inerrancy and authority of Scripture and became a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
- Other improvements have been made over the years, including the addition of a playground, new windows in the main church building, and the construction of a separate fellowship hall building.