North Central in Pasadena in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

First Lutheran Church

Photographed by Craig Baker, March 10, 2025

1. First Lutheran Church Marker

Inscription.
City of Pasadena Cultural Heritage Landmarks

Worship Center
Architects: Frederick Kennedy Jr
David Ogilvie
1936

Parish Hall
Architect: Scott Quintin
1940

Koch Hall
Architect: David Ogilvie
1948

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.

Location. 34° 9.595′ N, 118° 8.479′ W. Marker is in Pasadena, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in North Central. It is at the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, on the right when traveling north on Los Robles Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 808 N Los Robles Ave, Pasadena CA 91104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles

and in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cypress Court (approx. ¼ mile away); George Ellery Hale (approx. half a mile away); Colonial Court (approx. 0.6 miles away); Washington Park (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Washington Square Neighborhood (approx. 0.7 miles away); Pasadena Central Library (approx. 0.7 miles away); Grace United Methodist Church (approx. ¾ mile away); Pasadena Memorial for Fallen Officers (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pasadena.

Regarding First Lutheran Church.

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Founded in 1892, Historic First Lutheran is one of the oldest churches in Pasadena. It is also the San Gabriel Valley's oldest Lutheran congregation. The church building itself is over 75 years old and is designated a Pasadena City Landmark.
Through the churches which Historic First Lutheran founded, all other Lutheran Churches in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties have been started, making Historic First Lutheran the Mother/Grandmother/Great-Grandmother church of those counties.
-from HistoricFirstLutheran.Org

The church is an excellent example of Mission Revival style architecture. The Church has obviously taken pride in the building and maintained the exterior appearances intact. The following features of the church are characteristic of the Mission Revival style: stucco walls, gable roofs covered with clay tiles, arcades with segmental arches, corner bell tower, balconets and iron railings on the tower, molded front entry surround, and deeply recessed windows.

Frederick Kennedy, Jr. and David Ogilvie were architects whose designs made significant contributions to the architectural heritage of Pasadena.

Frederick Kennedy designed several other major churches in Pasadena, including the Throop Memorial (300 S. Los Robles), First Baptist (with Carlton M. Winslow at 75 N. Marengo), Trinity Lutheran Church (with Quintin

First Lutheran Church and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, March 10, 2025

2. First Lutheran Church and Marker

and Kerr at 997 E. Walnut), and Third Church of Christ Scientist (2801 E. Colorado, for which he received a California Honor Award). His commercial buildings include the seven-story Pasadena Furniture Co. Building (with Curlett and Beelman on Colorado Blvd. east of Oakland; now demolished), three auto showrooms in the 300 block of W. Colorado Blvd. (NR), and the Fish Building at 24-28 E. Colorado (NR contributor in Old Pasadena). Institutional projects include two Mayfield School buildings and the American Legion Building on N. Marengo (with Ed Maybury). In addition, his designs for houses in Pasadena were often featured in newspaper articles. His expertise in school buildings led to designs for Santa Paula High School, Baldwin Park High School, Mt. Sac Junior College, and four buildings at the University of La Verne, all designs that received California Honor Awards.

City records identify nearly 15 houses in the Pasadena area designed by David Ogilvie, most of them being large houses in the southern part of the city. His South Pasadena home at 2000 Ashbourne Drive won the second place prize in a national competition for the use of brick in homes. A commercial project of his is located at the northwest corner of Green and Madison (new site of Culinary Arts School) in the NR Playhouse District. His design for the Pasadena Golf Club’s Clubhouse in Altadena received numerous

First Lutheran Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, March 10, 2025

3. First Lutheran Church

mentions in newspapers in the late 1920s.

The Church is the best local example of Mission Revival design in this property type.
-from California Historical Resources Database.

Photographed by Craig Baker, March 10, 2025

4. First Lutheran Church

Photographed by Craig Baker, March 10, 2025

5. Cornerstone

Photographed by Craig Baker, March 10, 2025

6. Cornerstone

Credits. This page was last revised on March 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 279 times since then and 75 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 23, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.