OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Google Streetview (new tab)

Overview

The Lake Avenue Methodist Church #1 was an extensive, Mission Revival design completed in 1907. Mission components were collected by the architect from six different California Franciscan missions and reassembled to create this unusual church.

Building History

Congregants established a Methodist congregation serving eastern portions of Pasadena in 1887, when the area was known as "Olivewood." This early congregation disappeared just after the collapse of the land boom in Southern California, but twenty years later, efforts by members of the stable 1st Methodist Church of Pasadena, revived the east Pasadena group. A Los Angeles Times article discussing the dedication of the new Lake Avenue Church in 1907 reported: "The Lake-Avenue Methodist Church was organized in 1887. The section where it is located was then called Olivewood, and has not yet been incorporated into the city limits. The little congregation was organized and served by Rev. T.C. Miller, assistant pastor of the First Methodist Church of Pasadena. From the time of its organization, the church flourished, and within a short time demanded a pastor of its own. With the collapse of the great boom, the people of Olivewood moved away, however, and soon the church died for lack of support. The members of the First Methodist Church were not willing to allow such a state of affairs to continue, however, and they soon secured a building and started the mission over again. In 1904 it was decided that the time had arrived when East Pasadena should have a full-fledged church of its own, and the Lake-avenue church was organized. Rev. V. Hunter Brink was secured as pastor, and he at once entered upon his duties. With the arrival of Rev. Brink, things began to pick up, and soon there was a flourishing congregation. With the people united, Pastor Brink began to agitate a new church, and so successful was he in his endeavors that less than three years from the time the new church was organized with seventy-three, the present new building, capable of seating 1300 auditors, was completed and ready for occupancy." (See "Los Angeles County--Its Cities and Towns: Dedicate New Church Today," Los Angeles Times, 04/28/1907, p. I8.)

As noted in the Los Angeles Times article, the church was dedicated on 04/28/1907, with a number of dignitaries in attendance: "This afternoon at 3 o'clock the formal dedication services of the new Lake-Avenue Methodist Church will be held. Henry A. Buchtel, Governor of Colorado and chancellor of the University of Denver, will deliver the dedicatory address, while the services will be participated in by many prominent Methodist clergymen of Southern California." (See "Los Angeles County--Its Cities and Towns: Dedicate New Church Today,"Los Angeles Times, 04/28/1907, p. I8.) The Methodist Episcopal Church founded the Colorado Seminary in 1864 and, despite its closure in 1867, connections were made to the University of Denver. The seminary was actually more of a general school rather than an educational institution strictly limited to the training of ministers. As a University of Denver web site indicated, "In the early period, and until 1928, the University of Denver's chief executive officers were Methodist clergymen...." (See University of Denver.edu, "What does it mean to be the 'Colorado Seminary?' acccessed 02/25/2020.)

The architect studied local Mission architecture and recombined features of six Franciscan missions in this design: "The newly completed church is one of the handsomest in Pasadena. the architecture is of the mission type, and Missions San Juan Capistrano, Carmel of Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Inez, San Gabriel, and San Fernando have been drawn upon by the architect. The result is a structure embodying the good points of all of the early missions and typical of California in every way. The ceiling of the auditorium is practically one large sounding-dome, but it is so arranged that it has the appearance of a mission roof. Lights are hung at regular intervals, the fixtures being of mission design." (See "Los Angeles County--Its Cities and Towns: Dedicate New Church Today," Los Angeles Times, 04/28/1907, p. I8.)

Pasadena's Security First National Bank bought the lot on the southeast corner of Lake Avenue and Colorado Boulevard from Lake Avenue Methodist Congregation in 08/1923. (See Pasadena Star News, 08/29/1923, p. 12.)

Demolition

This church was torn down c. 1923.

PCAD id: 23359