First Congregational Church of Los Angeles

First Congregational Church of Los Angeles is located at 540 South Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles, California, United States. It is a member of the United Church of Christ.[2] Founded in 1867, the church is the city's oldest continuous Protestant congregation.[3] The congregation moved around using a variety of buildings until it moved to its current location in 1932, with the first service being held on March 13, 1932.[4]

First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
34°3′51.8″N 118°17′5.4″W
Location540 S Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020
CountryUnited States
DenominationUnited Church of Christ
ChurchmanshipCongregational
Membership491
Weekly attendance225
Websitefccla.org
History
StatusChurch
Founded1867 (1867)
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Allison & Allison
StyleEnglish Gothic Revival
Completed1932
Specifications
Height157 ft (48 m) (tower)
Floor area157,000 sq ft (14,600 m2)
MaterialsReinforced concrete
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)Rev. Laura Vail Fregin (Interim)[1]
Laity
Organist(s)Dr. Christoph Bull

The current building is an impressive English Gothic Revival-style designed by Los Angeles architects James Edward Allison & David Clark Allison. The massive concrete structure was reinforced with more than 500 tons of steel, and supported by more than 150 caissons extending up to forty-five feet into the bedrock.[5] Its dominant feature is a tower soaring 157 feet and weighing 30,000 tons. There are four three-ton pinnacles at the corners of the tower which rise another nineteen feet. The church has the world's second largest church organ.

On March 15, 2002, the church was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission.[6]

Organ

The church has the world's second largest church organ. Similar to the instrument at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Passau (with five organs, one console), it consists of multiple organs playing from twin consoles. Now known as "The Great Organs at First Church," the instruments were installed over a period of approximately 70 years. As of 2023, The Great Organs at First Church consist of 18,094 speaking pipes, 328 ranks, 15 divisions, and a total of 278 speaking stops:

  • The Seeley Wintersmith Mudd Memorial Organ (Chancel) - The church's original instrument, a Skinner Organ built in 1931, is immediately visible upon entering the Sanctuary, flanking either side of the Chancel.
  • Frank C. Noon Memorial Organ (West Gallery) - In 1969, a Schlicker Organ was installed by Organist in residence, Lloyd Holzgraf. The organ's look and sound "enables the organist to capture the spirit and inspiration of the North German tradition of the 17th century."[7]
  • The Italian Division (Chancel) - A small Italian-style Continuo Organ built by Schlicker, situated adjacent to the South Choir of the Chancel.
  • The Holzgraf Trumpet Royale (Chancel) - These powerful trumpets were installed in 1984, in honor of Mr. Holzgraf’s 25th Anniversary at First Church.
  • The Gospel and Epistle Divisions (North and South Transepts) - Under the direction of the famed Frederick Swann, Organist in Residence from 1998 to 2001, William Zeiler completed the installation of Divisions in the North Transept Gallery (Gospel) and the South Transept Gallery (Epistle), so that those attending services and concerts at First Church are now surrounded by music on four sides.

The Moller Consoles were installed during renovations in the early 1990s, replacing the original duplicate Schlicker consoles of 1969 which had become outdated and could no longer fully control the many new additions. The Chancel console, installed in 1992, is known to be one of the last works from the Moller firm, which closed its doors that same year.[8] Its twin, the Gallery console, was completed by former Moller craftsmen at the Hagertown Organ Company. The Moller Consoles are the largest draw-knob consoles ever built in the Western Hemisphere.

The current organist in residence, Dr. Christoph Bull, hosts a free playlist of videos featuring The Great Organs at First Church, for those interested in hearing the instrument in action.

Media

The church has been a popular location for commercials, films, music videos, and television shows.[9][10]

Commercials
CompanyCommercialYear
Kia1999
Men's Wearhouse"New Suit"2004
Microsoft2005

Film
MovieYear
Dragonfly2002
Mr. Deeds2002
Daredevil2003
Along Came Polly2004
Spider-Man 22004
NationalTreasure2004
Blood & Chocolate2007
Into the Wild2007
Nancy Drew2007
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On2022

Music Videos
ArtistSongDate
Gerald Levert"Taking Everything"1998
Nas"Got Ur Self a Gun"2001
DMX"I Miss You"2001
Linkin Park"Numb"2003

Television
ShowEpisodeDate
The A-Team"A Little Town With an Accent"May 6, 1986
My So-Called Life"So-Called Angels"December 22, 1994
Any Day Now1998
Profiler1998
Seven Days1998
Vengeance Unlimited1998
To Have & to Hold"Pilot"September 30, 1998
Locust Valley"Pilot"1999
The X-Files"Milagro"April 18, 1999
Ugly Betty"A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding"November 8, 2007
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"Alone"March 21, 2018

References
  1. "Our Staff". fccla.org. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. "UCC Southern Conference Fall Meeting". fccla.org. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  3. Clifton L. Holland. "An Overview of Religion in Los Angeles from 1850 to 1930".
  4. Richardson, Eric (11 July 2008). "Downtown's Churches: First Congregational". Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  5. "First Congregational Church of Los Angeles". Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  6. Los Angeles Department of City Planning. "Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) List". Office of Historic Resources. City of Los Angeles. p. 26. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  7. "The Great Organs of First Church". First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  8. Ambrosino, Jonathan (November 1993). "A Good Story with a Bad Ending: M.P. Möller 1875–1992". ISO News (International Society of Organbuilders). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  9. Lindsay (23 December 2010). "The First Congregational Church of Los Angeles from "My So-Called Life"". iamnotastalker.com. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  10. "Filming". Archived from the original on 14 September 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
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