Tustin Presbyterian Church has a rich history in the city of Tustin dating back to the 1880s. Below are excerpts from the Centennial History written by Maureen Rischard and the History Committee.

In 1882 when the Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana was organized, arrangements were made to establish a preaching station in Tustin. A service was to be held each Sabbath morning in Santa Ana and an afternoon service each Sunday in Tustin. The first sermon was preached in December and the Sabbath School was organized in January 1883. All services were held at the Advent Christian Church.

Mr. David Hewes, a native of Massachusetts, came to California in 1850 at the age of 28 years. He didn't come to mine gold but as a business man. He was a man of vision and became very successful through a variety of interests.

He was a man of ideas and the golden spike that was used to wed the East and West tracks of the railroad in 1869 was his brainstorm. He ordered it made and paid for it, too. Inscribed on the stake are these words, "May God continue the unity of our country as this railroad unites the two great oceans of the world."

Mr. and Mrs. Hewes came to Tustin in June 1881. They felt the climate would be favorable to the health of Mrs. Hewes. About 1905 Mr. Hewes wrote, "The dryness of the atmosphere and the salubrious climate proved efficacious in prolonging Mrs. Hewes' life for six years.

"In the beautiful village of Tustin there was no Presbyterian church. Mrs. Hewes felt that in all probabilities this place would be her last home and desired to do something toward building a small church.

"Complying with her sentiments, which accorded with my own, I undertook this work. Mrs. Hewes purchased a lot from a friend who had been unable to build upon it, and with the assistance of friends in San Francisco and Oakland, and of the residents of Tustin who contributed $700, we accomplished the work.

"We erected a small but sufficiently commodious church at a cost of $4,000. This church has always been free from debt. It was dedicated in October 1884, there being 29 members. I am still a member of this church, of which I was one of the original trustees."

In the summer of 1883 Mrs. David Hewes proposed to donate a lot at Main and "C" Streets for a church and her husband at once set about soliciting funds to build it. In addition to seeking funds locally, he went among his friends and associates in San Francisco. From that city came window frames, windows, doors, shingles, and a church bell. Still in use today, the bell bears the date 1884.