Nob Hill is located along Route 66, and the congregation developed following World War II as the automobile-driven expansion of the suburbs and the G.I. Bill rapidly increased the geographic boundaries and population of Albuquerque. Completed in 1956, the church building was designed by noted architect John Gaw Meem in the Territorial Revival style. Meem is credited with developing this prevalent Southwestern style which reinterprets centuries of Native American and Hispanic architectural traditions.

Since 2019, Immanuel has been working with Partners for Sacred Places staff to develop a vision for shared building use and new partnerships for the congregation. Through this process, Immanuel connected with the New Mexico Philharmonic, the largest organization of professional musicians in the state. Local organizations have hosted concerts and performances at Immanuel for decades due to the main sanctuary’s strong acoustics, and the Philharmonic now plans to make this space its first permanent home for performances, rehearsals, and the storage of orchestral equipment. When this new space sharing agreement is fully implemented, the small but vibrant congregation will conduct worship in the building’s original sanctuary space, which is more suited for its needs.

With this new approach, Immanuel and the Philharmonic will share the responsibility of stewarding the historic building. A National Fund grant of $200,000 with $400,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation will contribute to repairing damage in the original sanctuary that resulted from water infiltration following a 2018 hailstorm. Immanuel hopes this project and partnership with the Philharmonic can serve as a “model for other congregations facing change.”

Immanuel Presbyterian Church by Drew Henry

Immanuel Presbyterian Church by Drew Henry