In 1881, a small group of citizens living just east of downtown Atlanta formed a mission Sunday School. Its success moved them to petition the Atlanta Presbytery to organize them into a new church and on June 24, 1883, the Fourth Presbyterian Church was chartered with 37 members. The new church, located at the corner of Chamberlain and Jackson Streets, flourished to 325 members by 1896, but then entered into a decline as the neighborhood gradually shifted from residential to business.

Instead of giving up and disbanding, the congregation of 60 members decided to sell the church property and move to the Copenhill neighborhood. On April 12, 1908, the congregation began meeting for two years on Sunday afternoons in the Methodist Mission, a small one room building on Highland Avenue. In March, 1910, the Rev. T. H. Newkirk, who had guided the congregation of now only 36 members, resigned but the next month the determined little congregation secured a permanent site at the corner of Highland and Blue Ridge Avenues. The church, now known as Druid Park Presbyterian Church, met in a tent for eight months until a small building was erected. Dr. Thomas E. Converse was hired as supply preacher for what was intended to be a three month temporary position until a permanent pastor could be called. That search did not develop as anticipated, and Dr. Converse was called as pastor in May, 1911. He served until his death in December, 1913.