The thought of organizing a Presbyterian Church at Petersburg came first to the mind of Samuel B. Wallace. Mr. Wallace, a plasterer and music teacher residing in Petersburg Village, was of Pennsylvania Scotts-Irish origin, and already a member of a Presbyterian Church. The increase and expansion of the church was a concern to him and he envisioned Petersburg Village as the home of a new Presbyterian Congregation. Petersburg was, after all, a thriving community in 1872 and it had only one church. Mr. Wallace made inquiry of his friend, Andrew Knesal, concerning this matter. The Knesals were members of the Presbyterian Church near Enon Valley, Pennsylvania.
Together, Mr. Wallace and Mr. Knesal approached Jacob Musser, Squire of the Village, to get his opinion and assistance concerning the church. Mr. Musser, a grandson of the original village proprietor, Peter Musser, did not belong to any church at that time. However, he was heartily in favor of the Presbyterian venture and offered a small parcel of land on the west side of Youngstown-Pittsburgh Road, north of the village, for the erecting of a church building, should the idea come to fruitition.
After much earnest prayer and further inquiry the men were able to assemble a small group who were willing to undertake the establishment of a Presbyterian Church in Petersburg. This little band of Christian men and women met together on the evening of June 29, 1872, by appointment of the Presbytery of Mahoning, of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and were organized into the Presbyterian Church of Petersburg.
From the energy and initiative of these nineteen charter members the church took its start. From the following list you may note that many of their descendants are still active members.
| Mr. Alfred Martin | Mrs. Rachel Martin | Miss Elizabeth Martin |
| Miss Zelia Martin | Mr. Philip Swisher | Mrs. Martha Swisher |
| Mr. Algernon Martin | Mrs. Martha E. Martin | Miss Jennie Robinson |
| Mr. James A. Davidson | Mrs. Harriet M. Davidson | Mr. Samuel Wallace |
| Miss Clara S. Stoll | Mr. John Smith | Mrs. Rebecca Smith |
| Mr. John Kerr | Mrs. Mary A. Kerr | Mr. Andrew Knesal |
| Mrs. Emeline Knesal |
On the same evening, they elected Mr. Algernon Martin and Mr. Samuel Wallace as ruling elders, and Mr. John Kerr, Samuel Wallace, and Andrew Knesal as Trustees. These men were ordainded and installed to office the following week. On Decembr 2, 1872, a call was extended to the Rev. R. S. Morton for one-third of his time. Mr. Morton accepted, and added Petersburg to his duties as pastor of two other congregations. He was installed in March of 1873. Church School and regular Services of Worship began immediately.
As a new congregation, The Presbyterian Church of Petersburg had no building of its own. Accordingly, they worshipped for a time in the Petersburg Methodist Church, which was the only church in the village. They had occasion to use the public school building for services as well. Soon the Trustees were busy subscribing money for a church building of their own, which was finished in 1874 at a cost of $3700.00. Within two years the congregation was debt free. This characteristic of speedily paying off debts it still part of the spirit of Petersburg Church.
One of the interesting happenings in the course of the fund raising for the building was the gift of Mr. Ellis Warner. Mr. Warner was the son of Israel Warner, one of the founders of Petersburg, and he too was inspired by this venture of starting a Presbyterian Church. He contributed $500.00 in cash to get the building started. Considering the total cost of the structure and the value of a dollar in 1872, it was quite a gift indeed! What makes it even more interesting is that through Jacob Musser who gave the church its first land, and Ellis Warner who gave them this sizable gift of money, the Presbyterians received the blessings of the founding families of the village. We are pleased to note that descendants of Ellis Warner are still active members of Petersburg Church.