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Overview

The Angelus Temple, built by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, opened in Echo Park on 01/01/1923, and served as the headquarters for her Foursquare Gospel Church until her death from an overdose of barbituates in 1944.

Building History

Controversial evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson 1890-1944) loved pageantry and fervor; her stage could accommodate a 100-person choir, stage sets, and a full orchestra. She selected the same hydraulic system utilized by P.T. Barnum at his Hippodrome in New York, NY, to lift and lower the stage. A reinforced concrete dome with a free-span of 125 feet covered the huge auditorium.

Building Notes

The contractor was the Winter Construction Company; composed of a reinforced concrete structure, the Angelus Temple cost approximately $250,000 to erect; the semi-circular temple auditorium with its two balconies, was designed to seat 5,300 worshippers. At some meetings, however, 7,500 were thought to be in attendance.