Westlake in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

First Congregational Church

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 8, 2023

1. First Congregational Church Marker

Inscription.
First Congregational Church.
English Gothic Revival Style.
Architects - Allison & Allison.
Built 1931. Declared 2002, Historic-Cultural Monument No. 706, City of Los Angeles, Cultural Heritage Commission, Cultural Affairs Department.

First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, built in 1932, architects Allison and Allison, 2015 Landmark Award #111, Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society.

(street sign:)
Congregational Square.
First Congregational Church, celebrating 150 years, from 1867 to 2017.
Cultural Heritage Commission Cultural Monument No. 706, City of Los Angeles.

Erected 2017 by City of Los Angeles. (Marker Number 706.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.

Location. 34° 3.838′ N, 118° 17.13′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Westlake. Marker is at the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and 6th Street, on the right when traveling north on Commonwealth Avenue. Only open to the

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public on Sundays. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 540 S Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles CA 90010, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bullocks Wilshire (approx. ¼ mile away); Founder’s Church (approx. half a mile away); MacArthur Park (approx. half a mile away); Hungarian Freedom Fight of 1956 (approx. half a mile away); Frank C. Hill House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (approx. 0.8 miles away); Haddon Hall (approx. 0.8 miles away); Grier-Musser House (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.

Regarding First Congregational Church. Founded in 1867, this is the city's oldest continuous Protestant congregation.
The building is an impressive English Gothic Revival-style designed in 1931 by Los Angeles architects James Edward Allison & David Clark Allison. The massive concrete structure was reinforced with more than 500 tons of steel, and supported by more than 150 caissons extending up to forty-five feet into the bedrock. The dominant feature is a tower soaring 157 feet and weighing 30,000 tons. There are four three-ton pinnacles at the corners of the tower which rise another nineteen feet. The church organ is one of the world's largest.

Significance Statement:
The

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

2. First Congregational Church Marker

property meets the criteria for LAHCM designation because it embodies the "distinguishing characteristics of an architectural-type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction," as an excellent example of English Gothic Revival architecture. While not indicated in the LAHCM designation, this property also meets eligibility criteria for its association with the "notable work of a master builder, designer, or architect," as a work by master architecture firm Allison & Allison. The property is determined eligible for listing in the National Register through the Section 106 review process and is listed in the California Register.

First Congregational Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

3. First Congregational Church

The tower is 157 feet tall.

Original Gothic Pinnacles image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

4. Original Gothic Pinnacles

Removed from the church tower following the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. Replacements were installed in 2005.

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 2, 2023

5. Street Sign

Church Interior image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 8, 2023

6. Church Interior

Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 53 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 11, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 5, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 6. submitted on October 11, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.