Piedmont Heights Walking Tour

(Former) Rock Spring Presbyterian Church

Rock Spring Presbyterian Church, on the northwest corner of Piedmont Avenue at Rock Springs Road, is one of Piedmont Heights' greatest treasures. The majestic edifice is no doubt the finest of several Atlanta churches designed by noted English architect Charles Hopson, reputed for his mastery of the Gothic Revival and Tudor Revival styles. Built in 1923, the current structure was constructed using granite quarried on nearby Cheshire Creek and features half-timbering and stucco reminiscent of 16th-century England. Hopson later became an elder in the church, and his original drawing of the building today hangs in the church's History Room.

Built in 1922, the church was attended by up to seventh-generation descendants of the congregation who founded it in 1870 and initially worshiped in a simple wood-framed church on the site.

Additions to the church over the years include an Educational Annex in 1953, the Recreation Building in 1955, the Educational Wing in 1964, and the Annie Loudermilk Center in 2000.

In 1990, the church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and cited, among its other qualifications, as “... an important aspect of religious history in Atlanta.”

In 2019, the congregation voted to close the church, and the last service was November 17, 2019. 

In 2020, Heritage Preparatory School purchased the church, its property, and accessory buildings (in addition to three townhomes behind the church). They have completed some renovations, including a beautiful spiral staircase leading from the back of the sanctuary to a new balcony library. This property houses their new high school and also includes a student center, art center, and more.  

GO TO THE NEXT LANDMARK ON THE PIEDMONT HEIGHTS WALKING TOUR: Rock Spring Cemetery

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