FAIRLAWN HISTORY
In 1961, The First United Presbyterian Church of Columbus, Indiana decided to sponsor a new Presbyterian church within the city. Forty families totaling 142 people volunteered to move to the new church. Construction of a temporary church house, known as The Green Building, was started in the spring of 1962 on 7.5 acres donated by officers of Dunlap Development Corporation. The location, in the new Fairlawn addition of Columbus, gave the new church its name. Fairlawn United Presbyterian Church was formally organized as an official congregation on April 28, 1963. The Reverend Donald Brower came from Greensburg, Indiana to serve as the first pastor.
The present building was dedicated on June 11, 1967 to house the sanctuary and church offices while Christian Education classes continued to be held in The Green Building. A new hymn, “O God of Space and Cosmos”, was written for the occasion by Mr. Ramon Hass, Minister of Music at First United Presbyterian Church. In the fall of 1968, the church opened Fairlawn Nursery School, which has since become Fairlawn Preschool.
As the church continued to grow, the main facility was expanded in 1982. This allowed for all education programs, church activities, and preschool programs to be housed under one roof.
Additional renovations were completed in 2014 to update the sanctuary space and expand the narthex/gathering area. Fairlawn Presbyterian Church is currently involved in many worship and community outreach programs including Fairlawn Preschool, L. Frances Smith Elementary School, and Love Chapel Center.