Our History

Throop was founded in 1886, by businessman, politician, and fervent adherent to Universalism, Amos G. Throop, who served as the mayor of Pasadena, California from 1888 to 1890, and later founded the California Institute of Technology. Rev. Florence Kollock, an ordained Universalist minister, helped Mr. Throop gather the original congregation.

The church was moved to its current location in 1923, when the building at the prominent corner of Del Mar Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue was completed. The English gothic revival style building was designed by architect Frederick Kennedy, Jr. Of the 14 historic arched stained glass windows, 11 including the grand west facing window were crafted by renowned glass artist Charles Jay Connick of Boston, and have been noted as resembling those at the Chartres Cathedral in France.