May 26, 2013

885 4th Street

United Church of Christ (Congregational)

Blaine, Washington

The congregation of the Congregational Church in Blaine, Washington has built three churches.  The first was a log cabin, the second a brick building, and the present church in the craftsman style faced with wooden shingles.

The first "Congregational Church was built in 1876 on California Creek, close to the corner of Loomis Trail Road near Blaine. This was the first church built in Whatcom County. (Washington) In his 80th year, the Reverend W.M. Stewart visited his son in Whatcom County and quickly decided to move here and build a church. He had led an active life. From 1914 to 1955, the Tom Snow family lived in the Church. It was moved to Pioneer Park in 1968 under the sponsorship of Elmer and Edna Pike. Meetings are still held in the church from spring to fall and it is growing as a popular location for small weddings." (Link 6.)  Each July during  "Old Settlers Week" the congregation  from today's United Church of Christ in Blaine holds their Sunday service at the log cabin.

    Congregation Church, Pioneer Village, Ferndale, Washington (Link 6.)

The second Congregational Church was built of brick in Blaine.  However, it was found that the bricks were faulty and after about 10 years the church was torn down.-Alma Wegener

The third and today's church was built at 885 4th Street in Blaine.

Sanctuary Entrance on 4th Street

       "Our church building, located on a corner property, was built in 

         1910 and still uses the bell from the original church of 1878. 

         The facility consists of the sanctuary, narthex, two offices, a 

         meeting room, and a music room upstairs. The downstairs (Dug

         after the church was built, possibly 1913, with access through 

         the door in the small addition on the Clark side of the 

          building.-Alma Wegener.)  includes a large fellowship hall,

         a kitchen, two classrooms, a nursery, and a playroom. 

         We also have a loft and additional room above the narthex. 

         We have an elevator providing handicap access to the main 

         level and downstairs. (In addition on Clark side of the 

         building-Alma Wegener.) The sanctuary is in a thrust stage 

         format (pews around three sides of the altar) and 

         the elevated,  formal altar is now the fourth wall 

         up two steps from the main floor." (Link 5.)

  Altar, 2014 (Link 1.)

The rectangular windows of the Sanctuary are of colored opaque glass in banks of two and three.  The banks of two feature center white bows. 

"Colorful ribbons and bows remind us of the bond of perfection which is love. They show us that all people are to be bound together in brotherhood and peace." (Link 2.) 

Sanctuary Stained Glass Windows

(Exterior)

The two center banks of three windows each feature  the cross in the middle with a spray of lilies on each side window.   The cross and crown " is often interpreted as symbolizing the reward in heaven (the crown) coming after the trials in this life (the cross) (James 1:12)." (Link 3.) "The white lily symbolizes purity and innocence and is the traditional flower of Easter.  The three petaled lily is also representative of the Blessed Trinity." (Link 4.)  

Sanctuary Stained Glass Windows
(Exterior)  

The church has a square steeple. The entrance to left of the steeple leads to the narthex with the three windows. (See top photo.) The altar of the sanctuary is at the opposite  end, toward Steen Street. (The roof dormers are original to the 1910 church.) The exterior of the church is surfaced in wooden shake shingles. 

                                             

 1950's or 1960's Addition,  Facing Steen Street

The 1950's or 1960's  addition facing Steen Street was built for Sunday school rooms, meeting rooms, and the music library.

Modern  Crafted Cross in Window  1950's or 1960's Addition

The modern crafted cross at the top of the steps at the entrance to the 1950's or 1960's addition was made by an interim minister who was also a metal artist.  It was bought by a member of the congregation and donated to the church.

Thank you: To congregation members Sandy Wolf and Alma Wegener for

            information on the church history.

Photos: Taken in February 2013 by SW.
Link 1: http://www.blaineucc.org/gallery.html (2014)
Link 2: http://www.penitents.org/stmartin2006.htm#CHRISTMAS_BOWS
Link 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_and_Crown
Link 4: http://www.goldclipart.com/products/crestchristian.htm
Link 5: http://blaineucc.org/uploads/UCC_Blaine_profile_Apr__11.pdf
Link 6: http://ferndaleheritagesociety.com/cabins.php#church

Woodside Village Church
Woodside, California

"The small town of Woodside, California is said to be the oldest English-speaking settlement in the Southern part of the San Francisco Peninsula. The first English-speaking settlers arrived here in the 18th century to log the rich stands of Redwoods. The Mexican and Spanish settlers of roughly the same period gave Spanish place names, like Sierra Morena (Brown Mountain) and El Corte de Madera (the place where timber is cut). In 1849, during the California Gold Rush, 20-year-old Mathias Alfred Parkhurst purchased 127 acres of timberland and called it "Woodside." That is the name that stuck. Around 1838 Charles Brown built the first saw mill here and by 1850 there were a dozen mills producing building materials for a burgeoning San Francisco, where housing was more precious than gold. Timber would be floated to the city on the waters of the Bay from a venue east of Woodside, now called Redwood City. Woodside continued as a center of the timber business until that business began to decline towards the end of the century.

"Then Woodside became the center of wine production for California. By 1889, 800 acres of vineyards were producing and in 1916 wines produced in this region won recognition as the best in the state. Indeed, the California wine industry started here when the Hungarian "Count" Harasthy founded the Buena Vista winery just north of the present village. That winery has long since moved to Sonoma where it continues producing its celebrated wines. Woodside has lately been restored to its position as a premier wine area, especially by the products of Woodside Vineyards, property of one of our church members.

                                1893 Church Sanctuary, now used as the Chapel

"In 1889 the Congregational Church of Redwood City opened a Sunday School in Woodside, at the time when the first of the great mansions, which are now so prominent a part of Woodside's identity, were being built. The Pastor of that church, L.D. Rathbone, organized a Sunday school to meet in Scout Hall in the village. In April of 1891, the people of Woodside decided that they wanted a church of their own and three men from the community joined the Redwood City congregation with the express purpose of promoting a church in Woodside. In 1893, a committee of five, three from Woodside and two from Redwood City, were authorized by the church to solicit subscriptions for the new church. W.C Bowman and George C. Ross donated a lot measuring 50x100 feet; construction started on March 17 and was completed and the church dedicated on May 21st, 1893. The cost of construction was $1,200 and the church opened free of debt, with $19 remaining in the construction account. This building, beautifully refurbished for the centennial in 1993, is still in use as a chapel.

Chapel Pulpit Detail

                                   
"In 1961, we dedicated a new and larger sanctuary. With the coming of J. Hood Snavely as minister in 1954 the congregation entered a phase of significant growth and expansion of the physical plant. Since the period of his ministry, 1954-1963, when the number of members doubled several times, we have expanded and contracted." (Link)

                                                               Courtyard Cross

The original 1893 Congregational Church, now used as the Chapel of the Woodside Village Church, the new 1954 Sanctuary, and the Courtyard featuring the large wood cross sit on the north side of the main road through the village of Woodside, at 3154 Woodside Road.

Photos: Top photo from Link
                All other photos taken in 2011 by SW.
Link: http://www.wvchurch.org/

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Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)

First Congregational Church/United Church of Christ
Alameda, California

"First Congregational Church of Alameda was founded in 1879 by missionaries. The first minister (George Morris) of our church was was born in England and traveled from there via Capetown South Africa and Tahiti before coming to San Francisco and the Bay Area. When the rent of $2.50 a week at the original space became too high, services were moved to a hayloft above a livery stable on Webster Street and the Church became known as the "hayloft Church." In 1883 a small building was purchased in the 1700 block of Central Avenue which was moved in 1885 to our present location at the corner of Central Avenue and Chestnut Street, (1912 Central Avenue) in the heart of Alameda. In 1904 the cornerstone for the new building was laid and the completed structure was dedicated on Easter Sunday 1905. An education wing was added in 1963.

"In 1961 the members of the Church voted to become a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC) which was formed in 1957 by the merger of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Churches.

Corner Scroll Plaque

"The UCC has a proud history of being on the leading edge of working

toward social justice. FCCA joined in this tradition in 1987 when our congregation accepted the 1985 resolution and call from our General Synod to declare ourselves “Open and Affirming,” adopting an Inclusive Non-discrimination Policy that states: “We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, or the differently abled.”

                                                        Left side feature window


"In 2004 we celebrated our 125th anniversary as a congregation and the 100th anniversary in this historic structure. Today, FCCA is a growing and vibrant community of Christian faith, where all persons and families are welcome. We move into our future full of hope and with gratitude for God’s faithfulness – yesterday, today and tomorrow." (See Link.)

Photos: Taken in 2011 by SW.
Link: http://www.fccalameda.org/index.html

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Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)