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Pilgrim Congregational Church formed during a meeting held 05/26/1887 in the Taylor Opera House in Downtown Pomona. In 1887, Pomona already had ten churches, and the first 36 members of the new Pilgrim Congregation moved quickly to erect its first house of worship. On the southwest corner of 3rd Street and Thomas Street, the group pooled $7,600 and erected the Pilgrim Congregational Church #1, across the street diagonally from opera house; it was complete by 11/26/1887, when the first service took place. Pilgrim's own web site indicated that the congregation did not relax after building its church: "In the Congregational tradition of fostering education, Pilgrim founded Pomona College just four months after the church was organized. Rev. Charles Sumner the founding minister of Pilgrim Church became the first president of Pomona College." (See "Pilgrim Church History,"Accessed 07/10/2014.) Becoming a center for the Congregational Church in Southern CA, the membership grew rapidly, increasing by 86% to 500 people in 1910, and plans for a larger meeting space took on new urgency. The Pilgrim Congregational Church #2, designed by the notable Pomona church architect, Robert Orr (1873-1964), opened in 1911.

A new Murray Harris pipe organ was installed here in 1902.

The first church had a bell tower added to it in 1897.

PCAD id: 10270