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Overview

The San Francisco architectural firm of Wright and Sanders, known for its church architecture, produced the design of the 1st Congregational Church #1, located in Lower Nob Hill.

Building History

The cornerstone of the 1st Congregational Church #1 was laid on 06/08/1871 before a group of two hundred spectators. The San Francisco Chronicle dispatched a reporter to cover the cornerstone-laying ceremony, and this uncredited writer filed the following report: "The corner-stone of the new First Congregational Church building was laid yesterday, with all the accustomed rites. The ceremony of laying the corner-stone, was commenced at 1 o’clock yesterday, the following clergymen and gentlemen being present: The Reverend Messrs. Stone, Lathrop, Cox, Sawtelle, Benton, Warren and Pond; Messrs Dutton, Hall, Eyers, Woolsey, Rankin and Cole of New York, in addition to a congregation of about 200 persons.” (See “A New Church: Laying the Corner-Stone of the First Congregational Church,” San Francisco Chronicle, 06/09/1871, p. 3.)

The Chronicle reporter discussed the features that the new church would have: "The plot of ground chosen for the edifice is situated on the southeast corner of Post and Mason streets, the dimensions being 137½ feet by 110 feet, the cost of which was $35,000. The building is the design of Messrs. Wright & Saunders [sic], architects of this city, and is of the Early English Gothic Style. It is to be constructed of brick with artificial stone dressings, the arches of the main entrances and other opening being decorated with ornamental boussoirs [sic] and key-stones of the latter material. The large windows will be similarly decorated, and every window in the edifice will be filled in with tracery and stained glass, thus giving a soft and subdued light. The building will be entered on Post street by a flight of stone steps leading to the porch, and thence into a large vestibule, from which the staircases to the gallery open, as well as the folding-doors conducting into the body of the church. This latter part will be 75 by 88 feet, and, with galleries is capable of accommodating 1,600 people. Due regard will be paid to the warming and ventilation, as also to the acoustic properties of the building, and it will be lighted with the patent sun-burners." Between about 1859 and the early 1880s, before the advent of Edison's electric, incandescent bulb in 1882, many interiors were lit by patented gas-burning lamps, also known as "sun-burners." (See “A New Church: Laying the Corner-Stone of the First Congregational Church,” San Francisco Chronicle, 06/09/1871, p. 3.) These gas lamps were improved upon by various other inventors during this period until they were made obsolete by electric bulbs.

Perhaps due to the frequency of earthquakes in San Francisco, the writer took pains to describe the new church's capabilities of rapid access and egress: "Great attention has also been paid to obtain a rapid and easy mode of exit, and it is believed that the church could be cleared of its audience in a few seconds. The support to the gallery is to be accomplished by bringing the principals of the roof down into side interior buttresses, which meet end of the gallery trusses, both being supported by massive timber framing throughout. By this means, the main floor will be left perfectly clear, the view unencumbered, and the columns supporting the galleries, usually found in churches, done away with. The basement will contain a lecture-room, class-rooms and a ladies’ parlor. On the northwest angle of the exterior a tower will be built, rising to a height of 100 feet, surmounted by a spire with grouped pinnacles and canopied windows—the whole being 236 feet high." (See “A New Church: Laying the Corner-Stone of the First Congregational Church,” San Francisco Chronicle, 06/09/1871, p. 3.)

The Chronicle reporter also listed other contractors who would work on the construction of the church: "The contract for the building has been assigned to Mr. Shane for the bricklaying, Mr. Macready for the carpentering, and the stonework to the Ransome Patent Stone Company. The edifice is expected to be completed in about six months time. The total cost is estimated to be from $90,000 to $100,000.” (See “A New Church: Laying the Corner-Stone of the First Congregational Church,” San Francisco Chronicle, 06/09/1871, p. 3.) The Ransome Patent Stone Company was a very important early experimenter with reinforced concrete in the Bay Area. One of its most comprehensive, early designs would be for the Art Museum at Stanford University.

Finally, the reporter noted how the future minister of the congregation, Rev. Cole, made efforts in his dedicatory speech to justify the church's high cost: “The Rev. Dr. Stone, the future Pastor of the new church, then addresses the congregation, calling upon his hearers not to uphold the sharp comments that were continually made that money was lavished in building splendid places of worship; for he contended that inasmuch as they were all given to extravagance with regard to their own residences, they ought therefore to do the same for their Maker. Every shop front exposed its most tempting goods, and exhibited gorgeous signboards; therefore, in his opinion, it was the duty of Christians to make their churches as seductive as possible, so that the popular minds might be attracted toward them.” (See “A New Church: Laying the Corner-Stone of the First Congregational Church,” San Francisco Chronicle, 06/09/1871, p. 3.)

Demolition

This Wright and Sanders-designed church was demolished before 1914 to make way for a new, Neo-classical building designed for the same site by the Reid Brothers.

PCAD id: 24299