From a prominent site on Tiverton Street, St James’ Presbyterian Church, built in 1876, and the Clark Sunday School Hall, built in 1905, overlook the township of Palmerston on one side and the rolling hills of its parish on the other. The district’s Presbyterian flock was first incorporated into the parish of ‘Port Chalmers and the North’ in 1858. In 1863 a new parish was created with Goodwood at its centre. It soon became, clear, however, that Palmerston was to be the centre of settlement and in 1864 the congregation moved to the new township. The first Presbyterian church was opened on Gilligan Street in 1865. The arrival of Rev. James Clark in 1871 saw the congregation increase to such an extent that a bigger church was required. A prime section on Tiverton Street was gifted to the congregation in 1875. Prominent Dunedin architect David Ross (1827-1908) designed a sizeable Gothic Revival Church. The main material was local Waihemo stone, which soon weathered to a soft ginger hue. The Church was opened in December 1876. In 1903 Margaret Monro Clark, widow of Rev. Clark, offered to fund half the cost of a Sunday School Hall. Her offer was accepted and prominent architect John Burnside (1856-1920) designed the new hall. In May 1905 the Clark Sunday School Hall was officially opened. Small modifications occurred over the following decades, including the installation of the large Arkle Memorial window in 1925. In the mid 1960s substantial modifications took place; including a new entrance way and foyer, a redesigned nave, replastered walls, new windows and floors. Many original features were replaced but some were partially reused. St James’ Church and the companion Clark Sunday School Hall are landmark Palmerston buildings. The Church’s rusty orange stonework makes a strong visual impression. The architects of these buildings, David Ross and John Burnside were both significant, and their work features prominently in Otago’s architectural history. The buildings’ spacious and impressive designs reflect the hopes and dreams of a small rural community and the confidence they showed in their emerging township and its future prospects. The focus of Presbyterian worship and religious education in Palmerston for 135 years, St James Church and the Clark Sunday School Hall speak to the indomitable rural community spirit which ensured the Church’s aesthetic, historical, architectural, social and spiritual values remain a compelling story today.