First Congregational Church of Los Angeles | |
---|---|
34°3′51.8″N118°17′5.4″W / 34.064389°N 118.284833°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) [1] |
Laity | |
Organist(s) | Dr. Christoph Bull |
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]
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]
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 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during renovations in the early 1990s, replacing the original duplicate Schlicker consoles of 1969 which had become outdated and could no longer fully control the many new additions.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.
The church has been a popular location for commercials, films, music videos, and television shows. [9] [10]
Company | Commercial | Year |
---|---|---|
Kia | 1999 | |
Men's Wearhouse | "New Suit" | 2004 |
Microsoft | 2005 |
Movie | Year |
---|---|
Dragonfly | 2002 |
Mr. Deeds | 2002 |
Daredevil | 2003 |
Along Came Polly | 2004 |
Spider-Man 2 | 2004 |
NationalTreasure | 2004 |
Blood & Chocolate | 2007 |
Into the Wild | 2007 |
Nancy Drew | 2007 |
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On | 2022 |
Artist | Song | Date |
---|---|---|
Gerald Levert | "Taking Everything" | 1998 |
Nas | "Got Ur Self a Gun" | 2001 |
DMX | "I Miss You" | 2001 |
Linkin Park | "Numb" | 2003 |
Show | Episode | Date |
---|---|---|
The A-Team | "A Little Town With an Accent" | May 6, 1986 |
My So-Called Life | "So-Called Angels" | December 22, 1994 |
Any Day Now | 1998 | |
Profiler | 1998 | |
Seven Days | 1998 | |
Vengeance Unlimited | 1998 | |
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 |
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