A Brief History of First Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara
On June 21 in 1869 in the adobe County Court House, 19 charter members were received into the First Presbyterian Church by The Reverend Thomas Fraser, the Presbyterian Synodical Missionary for the Pacific Coast. These first members were seeking worship and learning experiences in keeping with their reformed Presbyterian faith. A young seminarian, Rev. H.H. Dobbins, served the first two years, followed by eleven temporary pastors. The first installed pastor was Rev. Dr. Augusts Carrier in 1886.
The first era was when American settlers were arriving from the eastern part of the United States and developing homes, farms, business, and professions in the small, but growing 2,000 population community. The Gold Rush had run its course, and the Civil War was over. As the congregation grew, the homes and meeting places were inadequate, so just two years aft the founding, in 1871, they built and moved into their own first house of worship on the corner of De La Vina and Ortega Streets. This too proved to be inadequate, and in 1875 the congregation marched to a new 400-seat church on State Street, on the west side of the 1200 block. It was a significant landmark with a 130-foot steeple that was a reference point for sailors at sea and surveyors on the land. In 1887 First Presbyterian Church helped found the El Montecito Presbyterian Church to serve those in the easter part of our community.
The second era was when the city and country were going through a boom & bust economic period, but the church continued its growth and services to the congregation. The railroad had just arrived as had electricity, and the era was marked by the coming of the auto and the airplane. Our next great pastor was Rev. Dr. Warren More in 1901, and the membership grew to 550. During this era Santa Barbara became a vacation destination for the wealthy, using the railroad as the means of travel. Hotels, resorts, hot springs and health facilities mushroomed as did large estates and farms.
During the First World War era, the congregation reached out to those in the service, and the Women’s Missionary Society was organized. Again, the church edifice proved unable to handle the increasing congregation, so a new larger sanctuary was built on Anapamu Street, one-half block east of State St.; the congregation marched to the new church in 1918. Dr. Clarence Spaulding began his ministry in 1919. “The Roaring Twenties” continued the population increases and the membership grew to 1,000 and 800 in the Church School.
An era of disasters began in 1925 with the Earthquake which damaged the church, so the congregation met in Alameda Park and elsewhere until it was repaired. For many members the Great Depression began in 1929 with economic hardship, but the church served their needs. Rev. Dr. Robert McLean was called in 1932, and the McLean Chapel with its stained-glass windows was built in 1940 as a memorial to his wife. The first regular meetings of The Mariners Club for married couples were held that same year.
The next era we’ll celebrate was World War II, which began after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Santa Barbara contributed in many ways, including a Marine Air Station in Goleta and an Army Hospital at Hoff Heights; 21 members served in the armed forces. The next minister to be called was Rev. Dr. Joseph Ewing in 1943, and he helped organize the Koko Club for young unmarried singles.
The 1950’s brought a population boom era with UCSB moving to Goleta, the airport opening, and Cachuma Dam being built. The church added a Christian Education building on the corner of Anacapa and Anapamu Streets in 1951. Rev. Dr. Lawrence Fisher was called in 1956, and the congregation grew to over 2,000 and the Church School to over 1,000. With the urbanization of the Goleta Valley, First Church helped organize two new congregations in 1959 – St. Andrews in the Hope Ranch area and Goleta Presbyterian Church.
The old Church building on Anapamu was no longer earthquake safe and the city wanted the parking lot, so a 4.3-acre site was purchased on the corner of State and Constance Streets in 1966. The space age was starting, and this started our era of modernization under the leadership of Dr. Fisher. The new buildings for the Church School and Church Office were finished in 1971, and the congregation marched up State Street to the new 800-seat sanctuary in 1973 with its stained-glass windows, new organ, and ample parking. The Rev. Robert Pryor was called in 1981 with the Infant Day Care Center completed in 1983.
Our global concern was heightened with the terrorist attack on New York on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, ushering in our Global Outlook era. This era saw completion of the Christian Fellowship Center and the Chapel of the Good Shephard, and the calling of Rev. Dr. Peter Buehler in 2002. This era was represented by congregational outreaches including opening the Early Childhood Center, serving the local homeless population, and increasing interest in and giving to international missions.
In 2022, a new era was ushered in with the calling of our first female pastor, Rev. Ann Conklin. As we emerged from the global Covid-19 pandemic, we are excited to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead as we continue to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with our local and global neighbors.