Community News

CMTV tours iconic local church to highlight upcoming Historical Society Celebration

 

by: Tony Dodero
Published: August 22, 2026

 

 

COSTA MESA...For those who have traveled 19th Street near Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa, they have likely noticed the iconic bell tower of the First United Methodist Church, which has graced the city’s landscape since 1928.

The tallest building to survive the infamous 1933 Long Beach earthquake, for nearly 100 years, it has served as a historic gathering place for generations of worshippers, bridging us from a coastal farming community to what is today one of the busiest traffic intersections in Orange County.

Along the way the church has been lovingly cared for by dedicated parishioners who originally hand crafted the building in Spanish Colonial Revival style to those caretakers today who preserve the sanctuary's CostaMazing details and history for current and future generations.

Want to learn more about our city's past? Join the Costa Mesa Historical Society for their 60th Anniversary Community Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 29 from 11:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m at another one of the city’s most treasured historic landmarks, the Diego Sepúlveda Adobe.

“An Afternoon at the Adobe” will bring together local museums, historical organizations, preservation groups, community partners, and families for a FREE public celebration honoring the history, culture, and stories that have shaped Costa Mesa and Orange County.

To learn more about this and ongoing Historical Society sponsored events visit CostaMesaHistory.org

Click here to check out CMTV’s recent video tour of the First United Methodist Church of Costa Mesa. Photo:CMPIO