Christmas Cream Wafers (Kenmore Presbyterian Cookies via Lisa Zdyb)

The roots of Kenmore Presbyterian Church run deep in the City of Buffalo, the Village of Kenmore, and the Town of Tonawanda. On April 6, 1877, Miss Ada Chalmers began a Sunday School with six in attendance. This Sunday School met in an old log house on Amherst Street near Delaware Avenue. Then, it moved to an unoccupied house on Amherst Street and became a mission of Westminster Presbyterian Church. Next, it met in a P.S. 21 on Hertel Avenue where it remained until Christmas 1887 when it moved into a former tavern on the corner of Hertel and Delaware Avenue.

The Superintendent of the Sunday School, Henry S. Larned expressed hope that the Sunday School would evolve into a chapel. This hope saw its fulfillment in 1890 when Kenmore developer, Louis P.A. Eberhardt donated a site on the northeast corner of Delaware and East Hazeltine Avenues to establish the Kenmore chapel. Westminster Presbyterian Church accepted the offer and the Kenmore Chapel was dedicated in 1891. It served as a mission church until November 22, 1894 when 34 persons requested the Presbytery establish Kenmore Presbyterian Church. The presbytery installed the Reverend George Marsh as the church’s first pastor and the congregation elected three elders.

The church worshipped in the original wood frame church until February 1926 when the current church building was dedicated. In 1948, the church added a second building to provide more educational space, two pastor’s studies, additional offices, and a dining room and kitchen. Also, at this time, the church purchased a new pipe organ by the Schlicker Organ Company.  In 1963, the church expanded again, tearing down the gym to erect an educational building. During this time, the sanctuary underwent a major renovation.

https://www.kenpres.org/history