Meeting first in homes and, after 1809, in the County Courthouse, the congregation erected its first building in 1827 on this site — ground donated by George Clymer, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
In 1858 a larger church replaced the initial building.
In 1904 work began on the third and present building, which was completed and dedicated in 1906. The present-day building, a Victorian eclectic structure designed by J.C. Fulton of Uniontown. Built of Hummelstown brownstone by Indiana contractor John S. Hastings, the new edifice was completed in 1906. Its octagonal sanctuary, dominated by an art glass dome 28 feet in diameter, incorporates the central pulpit and semi‑circular pew arrangement of the “Akron Plan,” allowing worshipers to hear and see easily from any seat.
Originally the northwest tower of our building was crowned by a steeple, which was removed in 1966 after weather damage affected its stability. The education wing was added in 1955 to accommodate a growing congregation.
The octagonal sanctuary of this Victorian eclectic building incorporates a central pulpit, reflecting the centrality of God’s Word.
The beautiful art glass windows and dome exemplify the Arts and Crafts style with painted details on opalescent glass. The “David and Jonathan” window in the east wall of the sanctuary, the “Road to Emmaus” window high in the north wall, and other windows throughout the church represent Biblical themes.
A glimpse of some of the stained glass of Calvary Church
Dodge’s David and Jonathan Window exemplifies the Tiffany-Dodge style of treating the entire space as one integrated scene, rather than the older medieval technique of filling each panel with a separate figure or medallion. the windows’ intricate design incorporates multiple layers of glass, in some places as many as seven thick. This splendid window -priceless today- was disassembled, cleaned, and completely restored in 2000 by the Massachusetts-based studio, Stained Glass Resources.
The Dome and all other windows throughout Calvary Church were created by The Rudy Brothers Company of Pittsburgh.
Information gathered from “A Bicentennial History of Calvary Presbyterian Church Indiana, Pennsylvania 1807-2007 by Charles Cashdollar