Messiah College was founded in 1909 by the Brethren in Christ Church, and was originally called Messiah Bible School and Missionary Training Home.[4] Originally located in Harrisburg, Pa., in the home of Messiah's first president, Samuel Rogers (S.R.) Smith, a local businessman and leader in the Brethren in Christ Church, the school was moved to the village of Grantham in 1911 following the construction of the campus' first building, Old Main. The building was constructed on land donated by S.R. Smith, who had moved his home and various business interests outside of the city to allow for growth in the farmlands surrounding Grantham.