The church was established in 1867 to serve the military as well as business and government personnel arriving in Santa Fe after the Civil War. The congregation has occupied three churches on the same triangular site, where it launched some of the first schools and clinics in the New Mexico Territory. The current Pueblo Revival sanctuary was designed by renowned Santa Fe architect John Gaw Meem and constructed by notable local builder Fred Grill in 1939. Meem was an early advocate of “an architecture of place.” He designed his buildings in the rich stucco traditions of the Southwest that were developed by Native Americans, extended by the Spanish, and continue to influence new construction today.

First Presbyterian Church has numerous outreach programs that have a broad reach in the community. The church hosts a child development center that enrolls 60 children daily, and it offers space to community groups, facilitates topic-based forums, and delivers musical programming, including free weekly recitals. The congregation is particularly responsive to the needs of people facing food and shelter insecurity. Church members volunteer at local shelters, helped resettle Chinese refugees from Vietnam, and aided Central American refugees.

A National Fund grant of $230,000 with over $520,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation allowed First Presbyterian Church to complete critical repairs to the exterior and interior of the historic sanctuary building. Repairs to stucco and wooden features restored the exterior to its original appearance, and accessibility improvements were made to the entrance doors. On the interior, First Presbyterian Church repaired the HVAC system, replaced the obsolete lighting control and fire detection systems, and installed LED lights. According to the congregation, the improved aesthetics and functionality of the building “enhance the desirability of [the] Sanctuary’s use as a venue for hosting congregation and community spiritual, social, and other gatherings.”

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe by Judith Haines