Our History

History of Palisades Presbyterian Church

The story of Palisades Presbyterian Church began in 1887, when a small group of faithful people gathered for worship in the courtroom of the San Diego Courthouse at Broadway and 2nd Street—the site now occupied by the Westgate Hotel.

On April 10, 1888, twenty-nine charter members petitioned the Presbytery in Santa Ana to organize the First United Presbyterian Church of San Diego. With the Presbytery's approval, that date became the official founding of the congregation that would eventually become Palisades Presbyterian Church.

As San Diego grew, so did the church.

The congregation first worshiped in the Holt House, near today's Market and 14th Street, before constructing its first church home at the corner of 19th and G Streets. Built largely through the volunteer labor of its 38 members, the modest 20-by-30-foot sanctuary reflected the deep faith and determination of the early congregation. Within nine years, the church had outgrown the building and relocated to a larger sanctuary at 22nd and Market Streets, where it worshiped for more than fifty years.

In 1956, as many members made their homes in eastern San Diego, the congregation purchased 5.7 acres of land for $15,000 and moved to its present campus. The first worship service was held on the Sunday before Christmas in 1956, years before the current sanctuary was completed in 1964.

One of the sanctuary's most treasured features is its beautiful stained-glass windows. Their journey to Palisades is itself a story of grace. During World War II, Allied bombing accidentally damaged the Dutch factory where the windows were being crafted. In an extraordinary gesture of goodwill, the United States government transported American orders free of charge. The windows traveled by Navy ship from the Netherlands to Portland, Oregon, and then by truck to San Diego. Today they are more than works of art—they are enduring reminders of God's grace, forgiveness, and the hope that can emerge even from conflict.

The campus has continued to grow alongside the congregation's ministry. In 1988, as Palisades celebrated its centennial, new office space and the breezeway connecting the sanctuary to the rest of the campus were completed. In 2005, members dedicated The Point, an outdoor amphitheater designed to foster worship and community gatherings. In 2019, the HGT Family Park was completed and dedicated in honor of beloved pastor Harvey G. Throop, who faithfully served Palisades Presbyterian Church for 33 years.

Today, Palisades Presbyterian Church continues to build on more than a century of faithful ministry. While much has changed since those first worship services in a downtown courtroom, our mission remains the same: to love God and love our neighbors as we seek to be the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus Christ.

Rooted in God's grace and looking toward the future with hope, we continue to welcome all who seek a place to belong, to grow in faith, and to join us in sharing Christ's love with the world.