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. Founded in 1867, the church is the city's oldest continuous Protestant congregation. 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.
| First Congregational Church of Los Angeles | |
|---|---|
| 34°3′51.8″N 118°17′5.4″W | |
| Location | 540 S Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020 |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | United Church of Christ |
| Churchmanship | Congregational |
| Membership | 491 |
| Weekly attendance | 225 |
| Website | fccla |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1867 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Allison & Allison |
| Style | English Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 157 ft (48 m) (tower) |
| Floor area | 157,000 sq ft (14,600 m2) |
| Materials | Reinforced concrete |
| Clergy | |
| Senior pastor(s) | Rev. Laura Vail Fregin (Interim) |
| 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. 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.