First Church of Christ, Scientist (Berkeley, California)

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Berkeley, now also known as Christian Science Society, Berkeley, is a Christian Science church, located at 2619 Dwight Way at Bowditch Street across the street from People's Park, in Berkeley, in Alameda County, California.[4]

First Church of Christ, Scientist
Berkeley Landmark No. 5
Location2619 Dwight Way, Berkeley, California
Coordinates37°51′56.75″N 122°15′21.75″W
Built1910
ArchitectBernard Ralph Maybeck
Architectural styleMixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods)
NRHP reference No.77000283
BERKL No.5
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 22, 1977[1]
Designated NHLDecember 22, 1977 [2]
Designated BERKLDecember 15, 1975 [3]

The Christian Science Society, Berkeley continues to meet in their over-100-year-old church building.[5]

History

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Berkeley held its first service in Wilkin's Hall, 2412 Haste Street, on Sunday, March 12, 1905, and its present membership— October, 1905—is forty-eight. A lot was bought (2892 Dwight Way) in June, and a church building will be erected later on.

— The Christian Science Journal (December 1905)[6]

The historic 1910 church was designed by renowned architect Bernard Ralph Maybeck (1862–1957), in a primarily American Craftsman style, with Byzantine Revival, Romanesque Revival, and Gothic Revival style elements.[7] The church is widely considered one of Maybeck's masterpieces.[8][9]

The basic plan is that of a square or Greek cross, with two pair of great crossed trusses spanning the central space overhead. In 1929 a Sunday School addition was added to the Church.

Landmark

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977, and is on the National Register of Historic Places in Alameda County, California.[2][10]

In October 2005, the Friends of First Church Berkeley were awarded a prestigious federal Save America's Treasurers (SAT) Grant, for the roof replacement and seismic strengthening of the 1910 Church and much of the 1929 Sunday School addition.[11] The church received a Getty Architectural Conservation Implementation Grant in 2006, to enable the completion of the seismic strengthening of the Church and Sunday School addition.[11][12] In 2009 and 2010, the Friends of First Church Berkeley received University of California Berkeley Chancellor's Community Partnership Grants for restoring the garden setting of the church.[11]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "First Church of Christ, Scientist". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
  3. "Berkeley Landmarks". Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  4. 1st Church of Christ, Scientist, Berkeley First Church of Christ, Scientist, Berkeley homepage
  5. Christian Science Society, Berkeley homepage
  6. Christian Science Society, Berkeley.org: From The Christian Science Journal, December 1905, "Among the Churches, Progress in Berkeley, California"
  7. Friends of First Church Berkeley: Interior
  8. Maybeck and His Work
  9. Berkeley Landmarks – First Church of Christ, Scientist
  10. Pitts, Carolyn (July 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: First Church of Christ Scientist" (pdf). National Park Service. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 5 photos, exterior, undated, assumed 1977 or earlier (2.52 MB)
  11. Friends of First Church Berkeley: Preservation Grants
  12. Friends of First Church Berkeley: Restoration images
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