St. James' Episcopal Church (South Pasadena, California)

St. James' Episcopal Church is a parish of the Episcopal Church in South Pasadena, California, and part of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

The church's mission is "To Learn, to Love, to Live the Word of God."

History
The church began informally in 1890 as St. Andrews Mission, with support from All Saints Episcopal Church in nearby Pasadena. In 1905, a temporary structure was built on the corner of Monterey Road and Fremont Avenue, where the current church would be later built.

Building
The historic church was designed by chief architect Bertram Goodhue of Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson in a mix of Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival architectural styles. The church is #33 on South Pasadena's list of historic landmarks. The stained glass windows were made by Judson Studios.

In 1919, a $3,000 addition was started, which included a stage and dressing rooms. The chimes were donated to the building by aviator Pancho Barnes, who, on January 5, 1921, had married Rev. C. Rankin Barnes at the church.

The tower was damaged in the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake. When the tower was repaired and retrofitted to meet earthquake protection standards, the chapel's pillars were narrowed, which had been obstructing views of the front of the church from rear pews.

Notable events
The church was the site of the 1929 wedding of actress Bessie Love to William Hawks, attended by such celebrities as Ronald Colman and William Powell, mobbed by a crowd of 25,000, and documented in Cecil Beaton's Diaries.