Where we started
Early 1900's

In 1900 Hillsboro was a village or small trading point located one-half  mile west of present day Milliken, in a farming community, which was becoming prosperous through the promotion of an irrigation enterprise by W. R. Adams of Greeley.  At this time there were no religious advantages except a struggling Sunday School that was being carried on in the old Brush schoolhouse about a mile north of the village. In passing through the community in February 1901, and noting the general signs of prosperity, the Sunday School Missionary, W. H. Schureman, became interested in an attempt to provide more adequate religious privileges for these people, a number of whom were professing Christians representing several denominations. In 1901, a petition signed by 14 individuals was presented to the Boulder Presbytery, which was meeting in Laramie, Wyoming on April 17 and 18, asking that a church be organized. A committee for organization  was then appointed.At the meeting of the Boulder Presbytery held in Erie, Colorado on September 18, 1901, there was considerable discussion as to the “propriety of putting up a church building at Hillsboro.” It was decided to go ahead. A lot was donated to the church by Arville Loveland and the building committee on January 7, 1902, contracted R. B. Leonard of Ft. Collins to erect a frame structure for $1,450.00. This building was to be completed May 1, 1902. The cornerstone was laid January 26, 1902, and the church was dedicated possibly on May 25, 1902, as the First Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro. The exact date is not known. The oldest  Record Book states June 1, 1902, which then is crossed out and in the  margin is written “possibly May 25″.

The Big Move
Elm St. & Katheleen Av.

Because of the coal situation in the early 1900”s the Denver, Laramie & Northwestern Railroad was formed in Denver to run from Denver to the  coalfields in Carbon County, Wyoming. The railroad would run through this territory. Agents of the new road found that Hillsboro was not in the most convenient place for a station and a new town site was chosen on the edge of the old village, one-half mile east, but near enough to give its inhabitants most of the advantages of the coming railroad. The site was selected in March 1909, and the work of creating a city from the stretch of farmland was undertaken early in the spring. The Denver-Laramie Realty Company offered to give the Hillsboro people Lots 30, 31, and 32 in Block 74 in Milliken if they would move the church to that location.   In March 1910, the congregation approved of moving the church and on April 22, 1910, the task of moving the building was started under the direction of Rev. Clarke. On May 10, 1910, the moving was completed and the building was on the site, on the southeast corner of Elm St. and Kathleen Avenue.After two month’s work of moving, painting, replastering and in various other ways repairing the church it was ready for rededication, Johnson and Sons had put in the foundation and plastered the interior. Total expenses were about $800.00 with $350.00 given from outside sources. The rededication service was held at 3 o”clock Sunday afternoon, June 19, 1910.

Home Sweet Home
201 S. Olive

Over the years, there were several additions to the original church building, but in the early 1980’s, with a growing congregation and an aging building, a building campaign was begun. In 1985, the congregation moved into the present church building at 201 S. Olive.