Chartered in 1880, the First United Methodist Church of downtown Albuquerque still gathers on the site in front of you. Close your eyes and imagine the first building raised here between 1880 and 1882 — the very first church in New Town — a modest adobe sanctuary that served this growing community. By the turn of the century that original sanctuary was found inadequate and was taken down, and in 1904 a new sanctuary was built on the same site.
That 1904 space is what you now know as the Fellowship Hall. The design came from architect Charles Frederick Whittlesey, and not long after completion, Tiffany-style windows were installed, bathing the interior in colored light. The congregation continued to grow: by 1955 the 1904 sanctuary was outgrown and a larger sanctuary was added on the property.
This building and its story of growth were recognized when the church was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1975 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Follow that layered history now in the hall, the later sanctuary, and the windows still glowing with Tiffany-style glass.