Bright Providence Presbyterian Church, Bright, Indiana

This locality was settled in the early 1800’s; several of the pioneers came from a Presbyterian heritage. Families had to travel down the hill, ford the Whitewater River to attend the nearest Presbyterian Church in nearby Harrison, Ohio. However, the river was often too high to cross safely.

John Gibson, a shopkeeper here in Bright, donated a portion of land from his settlement (named Providence) and thus Providence Presbyterian Church was organized on May 22, 1831 under the Oxford Presbytery. The cemetery, next to the church, was also part of the donated land. Today, Gibson Cemetery remains under the administration of Providence Presbyterian Church.

The original log building was replaced with a white frame church in 1841. In 1899, the third and present church was erected. Today the church is part of the Cincinnati Presbytery.

GPS Location: 39º13’06.2″N 84º51’22.8″W