——r-

NPS

Form

iu-yuu

UMb

NO.

10024-0018

(Ocr.

1990)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of Historic

Places

Registration

Form

This

form

is

for

use

in

nominating

or

requesting determinations

for

individual

properties

and

districts.

Sde

ins

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

(National

Register

Bulletin

16A).

Complete

each

it^m'

by

entering the

information

requested.

If

an

item

does

not

apply

to

the

property

being

documented,

architectural

classification,

materials,

and

areas

of

significance,

enter

only

categories

and

sut>categories

from

the

instruct

entries

and

narrative

items

on

continuation

sheets

{NPS

Form

10-900a).

Use

a

typewriter,

word

processor,

or

computer,

to

complete

all

items.

1.

Name

of

Property

________________

historic

name

First

Congregational

Church________________________________

<

or

ns.

other

names/site

number

United

Church

of

Christ

2.

Location

street

&

number

165

East

Mill

Street

city

or

town

____Portervllle________

NA

D

not

for publication

NA

G

vicinity

state

California

code

_.

county

Tulare

code

_12Z_

ziA

code

93257

3.

State/Federal

Agency

Certification

As

the

designated

authority

under

the

National

Historic

Preservation

Act,

as

amended,

I

hereby

certify

that

this

XA

nomination

G

request for

determination

of

eligibility

meets

the

documentation

standards

for

registering

properties

in

the

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

and

meets

the

procedural

and

professional

requirements

set

forth

in

36

CFR

Part

60.

In

my

opinion,

the

property

®

meeUJv

Q

does

not

meet

the

National

Register

criteria.

I

recommend

that

this

property

be

considered

significant

G

natiopaHy

Q

statewide

E3

loc§(%

(G

See

coryfhuaiion

sheet

for

additional

comments.)

A

a

Signature

of

certifying

officialTtitl

Date

Historic

Preservation

Officer

State

of

Federal

agency

and

bureau

In

my

opinion,

the

property

Q

meets

Q

does

not

meet

the

National

Register

criteria.

(G

See

continuation

sheet

for

additional

comments.)

Signature

of

commenting

official/Tide

Date

4.

National

Park

Service

Certification

I

hereby

certify

that

the

property

is:

red

in

the

National Register.

Q

See

continuation

sheet.

Q

determined

eligible

for

the

National

Register

Q

See

continuation

sheet.

Q

determined

not

eligible

for

the

National

Register.

Q

removed

from

the

National

Register.

G

other,

(explain:)

_________

/

Signature

of

the

Keeper

Date

of

Action

——r-

Porterville

First

Congregational

Church

Tulare

County,

California

Name

ot

Property

County

and

State

5.

Classification

Ownership

of

Property

(Check

as

many

boxes

as

apply)

J3

private

D

public-local

D

public-State

D

public-Federal

categories

from

instructions)

religious

facility

social:

meeting

hall

education:

school

recreation

&

culture:

theater

(silent

movies)

auditorium

music

facility

Current

Functions

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

religion:

religious

facility

education;

education

related___

social:

meeting

hall___________

recreation

&

culture;

auditorium

theater

music

facility

sports

facility

7.

Description

Architectural

Classification

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

19th

century

Late

Gothic

Revival

Shingle

Style

__________________

other:

Bay

Area

Tradition

Materials

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

foundation

walls

____

Cement.

stone

Stone

Wood

roof

Wood

Shingles,

Composi

t.-i

nn

other

Granite____________________

Narrative

Description

(Describe

the

historic

and

current

condition

of

the

property

on

one

or

more

continuation

sheets.)

Porterville

First

Congregational

Church

Name

of

Property

Tulare

County,

California

County

and

State

8.

Statement

of

Significance

Applicable

National

Register

Criteria

(Mark

"x"

in

one

or

more

boxes

for

the

criteria

qualifying

the

property

for

National

Register

listing.)

Property

is

associated

with

events

that

have

made

a

significant

contribution

to

the

broad

patterns

of

our

history.

D

B

Property

is

associated

with

the

lives

of

persons

significant

in

our

past.

X2

C

Property

embodies

the

distinctive

characteristics

of

a

type, period,

or

method

of

construction

or

represents

the

work

of

a

master,

or

possesses

high

artistic

values,

or

represents

a

significant

and

distinguishable

entity

whose

components

lack

individual

distinction.

D

Property

has

yielded,

or

is

likely

to

yield,

information

important

in

prehistory

or

history.

Criteria

Considerations

(Mark

"x"

in

all

the

boxes

that apply.)

Property

is:

X3

A

owned

by

a

religious

institution

or

used

for

religious

purposes.

D

B

removed

from

its

original

location.

D

C

a

birthplace

or

grave.

D

a

cemetery.

D

E

a

reconstructed

building,

object,

or

structure.

D

F

a

commemorative property.

D

G

less

than

50

years

of age

or

achieved

significance

within

the

past

50

years.

Areas

of Significance

(Enter

categories

from

instructions)

Social

History

Architesture

Period

of

Significance

1908

-

1936

Significant

Dates

1909

Significant

Person

(Complete

if

Criterion

B

is

marked

above)

N/.A______________

Cultural

Affiliation

N/A

Architect/Builder

Meeker,

George

C.

Reed,

Francis

W.

San

Francisco

Bay

Area

Architects

Narrative

Statement

of

Significance

(Explain

the

significance

of

the

property

on

one

or

more

continuation

sheets.)

9.

Major

Bibliographical

References

Bibliography

(Cite

the

books,

articles,

and

other

sources

used

in

preparing this

form

on

one

or

more

continuation

sheets.)

Previous documentation

on

file

(NPS):

D

preliminary

determination

of

individual

listing

(36

CFR

67)

has

been

requested

D

previously

listed

in

the

National Register

D

previously

determined

eligible

by

the

National

Register

D

designated

a

National

Historic

Landmark

D

recorded

by

Historic

American

Buildings

Survey

D

recorded

by

Historic

American

Engineering

Record

#

_____________

Primary

location

of

additional

data:

D

State

Historic

Preservation

Office

D

Other

State

agency

D

Federal

agency

D

Local

government

D

University

rXj

QtherHistoric

&

Cultural

Resources

Invent

Name

of

repository:

f

°

r

City

of

Porterville

State

of

California,

Resources

Agency

Department

of

Parks

and

Recreation

Porterville

First

Congregational

Church

Name

of

Property

Tulare

County,

California

County

and

State

10.

Geographical

Data

Acreage

of

Property

.38

UTM References

(Place

additional

UTM

references

on

a

continuation

sheet.)

1

IMI

|3|1,8|8,2,0|

|

3,

9|

9,

3|

2,

Zone

Easting

Northing

9\

I I I I . I

. I I

I

.

I

I I

3

UJ

LU

Zone

Easting

4

__

LU.

Northing

L_J

D

See

continuation

sheet

Verbal

Boundary

Description

(Describe

the boundaries

of

the

property

on a

continuation

sheet.)

Boundary

Justification

(Explain

why

the

boundaries

were

selected

on

a

continuation

sheet.)

11.

Form

Prepared

By

name/title

Eleanor

Foerster,

church

member;

John

Slaven,

architect;

Joan

Stewart,

editor

organization

date

August

31,

1998

street

&

number

p

«°*

Box

Foerster

Church

telephone

(209)

784-2200

(209)

78^53^3

city

or

town

Porterville

state

CA

zip

code

93258-35^8

Additional

Documentation

Submit

the following

items

with

the

completed

form:

Continuation

Sheets

Maps

A

USGS

map

(7.5

or

15

minute

series)

indicating

the

property's

location.

A

Sketch

map

for

historic

districts

and

properties

having

large

acreage

or

numerous

resources.

Photographs

Representative

black

and

white

photographs

qf

the

property.

Additional

items

(Check

with

the

SHPO

or

FPO

for

any

additional

items)

Property

Owner

(Complete

this

item

at

the

request

of

SHPO

or

FPO.)

name

First

Congregation

Church_____________________________

street

&

number

165

East

Mill

Street

city

or

town

Porterville____________

telephone

(209)

78^-5340

state

California

zip

code

93257

Paperwork

Reduction

Act

Statement:

This

information

is

being collected

for

applications

to

the

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

to

nominate

properties

for

listing

or determine

eligibility

for

listing,

to

list

properties,

and

to

amend

existing

listings.

Response

to

this

request

is

required

to

obtain

a

benefit

in

accordance

with

the

National

Historic

Preservation

Act,

as

amended

(16

U.S.C.

470

et

sea;.).

Estimated

Burden

Statement:

Public

reporting

burden

for

this

form

is

estimated to

average

18.1

hours

per

response

including

time

for

reviewing

instructions,

gathering

and

maintaining

data, and

completing

and

reviewing

the

form.

Direct

comments

regarding

this

burden

estimate

or

any

aspect

of

this

form

to

the

Chief,

Administrative

Services

Division,

National

Park

Service,

P.O.

Box

37127,

Washington,

DC

20013-7127;

and

the

Office

of

Management

and

Budget,

Paperwork

Reductions

Projects

(1024-0018),

Washington,

DC

20503.

US

GOVERNMENT

PRINTING

OFFICE

:

1993

O

-

350-416

QL

3

NPSFbn.10.9CO-,

OM8

AmoralAfa

ICB«Ot«

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

n

r;

,

QQQ

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

———L,

Page

———^

or

tervllle

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

California

SECTION

7:

ARCHITECTURAL

CLASSIFICATION

Written

in

consultation

with

John

Slaven,

Architect

Summary

The

First

Congregational

Church

in

Porterville,

California,

constructed

in

1908,

is

a

two

story,

rectangular,

Shingle/Bay

Area

Traditional

design

wooden

frame

structure

in

late

19th

century

Gothic

Revival

architectural

style.

Only

this

single

building,

60

feet by

130

feet,

sits

on

three

city

lots

(an

area

106

feet

by

152

feet)

at

the

intersection

of

Mill

and

Fourth

Streets.

These

three

lots

were

designated

by

Mr.

Porter

Putnam

as

a

church

site

when

he

surveyed

40

acres

and

laid

out

his

town,

"Porterville",

in

1864.

There

are

no

other

contributing or

noncontributing

buildings,

structures,

or

objects

on

these

three

lots.

The

north-facing

second-story

auditorium

is

set

back

from

Mill

Street

about

20

feet

and

is

entered

by

steps

from

a

20

foot

wide

front

sidewalk.

Two

square

towers

frame

stone

steps

and

a

covered

entry

porch.

A flat

facade

rises

above

the

porch

to

a

tall

gable

and

central

chimney.

The

integrity

of

workmanship

is

especially

evident

in

the

carefully

designed

interiors

of

the

auditorium

and

the

downstairs

Fireplace

Room

which

are

paneled

with

dark

stained

clear

pine.

Windows

of

the

sunken

basement

meeting

room

are

aligned

with

taller

uniquely

crafted

stained

glass

windows

in

the

auditorium

above.

On

the

west,

along

a

tree-lined

street,

the

church

is

landscaped

with

shrubs,

a

sidewalk,

and

an

eight

to

ten

foot

strip

of

lawn.

A

single

palm

tree

planted

in

the

1880's

provides

a

dramatic focal

point

to

the

front

northwest

corner

of

the

church. On

the

east

side

of

the

building

are

shrubs

and

a

sidewalk.

To

the

south

is

an

enclosed

patio/barbecue

area.

Further

south

is

a

classroom

structure

with

an

enclosed

play

area

built

in

1961

over

the

tennis

courts

that

were

part

of

the

original

1908

"Institutional

Facility".

Between

the

church

and

Main

Street,

two

blocks

to

the

west,

are

downtown

stores

and

office

buildings.

East

of

the

church,

and

looking

toward

the

Sierra

Nevada

mountains,

are

one-

and

two-story

wooden residences

built

in

the

1880's

by

Porterviile's

founders.

The

building

is

in

excellent

condition

and

both

the

interior

and

exterior

look

as

they

did

90

years

ago.

Nf>S

Fonn

10-900-a

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

_2

———

Page

———

^-i>orterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

California

Description

The

cornerstone

of

the

church

is

engraved

"1891-1908".

The

current

wood frame

structure was

built

from

plans

dated

August,

1908,

by George

C.

Meeker

and

Francis

W.

Reed,

San

Francisco

Bay

Area

architects.

The

architects'

blueprints,

framed

and

on

display

in

the

church

today,

show

a concept

for

churches

that

was

distinctive

for

that

era—

an

Institutional

Church.

An

Institutional

Church

was

designed

to

function

in

a

community

not

only

for

the

ordinary

services

of

the

Sabbath

for

members,

but

also

for

the

physical, literary,

and

social

culture

of

the

entire

community.

The

north

portion

of

the

1908

building

was

a

large

sunken

meeting

room

and

an

upstairs

auditorium.

The

south

portion

was

a

sunken

"swimming

tank"

and

a

second-story

gymnasium.

Exterior

treatments

feature

walls

of

locally

quarried

stone

laid

in

a

random

pattern

around

the

base

of

the

corner

towers,

the

front

porch,

and

steps.

Rough

hewn

granite

blocks

accent

both

sides

of

the

steps.

Above

the

stone

work,

the

sides

are

finished

with

smooth-sawn

cedar

shingles.

Fenestration

consists

primarily

of

double

hung

sashed

windows

arranged

in

groups

of

three,

and

arched

louvered

vents.

The

larger

windows

at

the

nave

level

feature

stained

glass

designs

and

stylized

pointed

arches

with

lintels.

The

steeply

pitched

(12:12)

cruciform

roof

is

covered

with

silver-gray

composition

shingles

(cover

the

original

cedar

shingles)

and

overhangs

the

side

walls

by

24

inches

at

the

eaves

and

12

inches

at

the

rake.

Measuring

from

the

top

of

the

curb

(eight

inches

above

the

street)

the

main

roof

is

45.41

feet

high;

the

Gothic

spire

is

90.34

feet

high,

and

the

top

of

the

weather

vane

is

93.75

feet

high.

The

front

(north)

facade

consists

of

a

central

broad

(12

feet)

stairway

rising

to

a

covered

porch

flanked

by

large,

square

towers

on

each

side

corner.

Each

tower

is

fronted

by

a

small,

gabled

roof

covering

a

single

door

entrance

into

the

stone

base.

Above

the

base

level,

shingle

walls

begin

with a

slight

skirt

and

extend

vertically

to

wood-trimmed, castellated

parapets.

The

western

tower

rises

above

the

eastern

tower

to

accommodate

a

bell

enclosure

and

an

octagonal

spire

topped

with

a

weather

vane.

"W.T.

GARRATT

&

CO.

SF

CAL

1870"

is

cast

around the

top

of

a

18

inch

high,

24

inch

diameter

bell,

which

is still

rung

by

hand

for

celebrations

such

as

the

church's

centennial

in

1991.

This

bell

is

from

the

earlier

1873

church

on

this

site.

The

old

bell

tower, which

had

been

deemed

unsafe,

was

completely

rebuilt

with a

new

foundation

and

new

wooden

tower

in

1892.

The

1873

church

was

torn

down

and

construction

of

the

present

church,

finished

in

1908,

began

at

this

bell

tower

corner.

NPSFomnO-900-a

OftW

ApprowMkx

(8-S6)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

——I——

Page

———

—

porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

TuLare

County,

—-California

From

the front

porch,

two sets

of

opposing

double

entrance

doors

lead

through

east

and

west narthexes

into

an

alcove

that

adjoins

the

nave

to

the

south.

The

grand

space,

54

feet

by

74

feet, is

flanked

on

both

sides

by

an

arched

colonnade

and

narrow

aisles.

The

altar

stands

on

a

raised,

recessed

chancel

between

two

arched

openings

filled

with

organ

pipes,

all

beneath

wood

cased

gothic

archways.

Stained

douglas

fir

wood

paneling

defines

both

the

choir

loft

and

organ

console

to

the

right

of

the

chancel

and

the

pulpit

to

the

left.

The floor

is

tongue

and

groove

vertical

grain

douglas

fir.

All

woodwork

throughout

this

auditorium

displays

elegant

craftsmanship.

The

vaulted

ceiling

is

finished

with

dark

wood

paneling

and

a

boxwood

of

cased

beams.

Two

large

wrought-iron

pendant

chandeliers,

each

with

8

stained

glass

panels

and

8

candle

light

bulbs,

supplement

daylight

from

the

tall

stained

glass

windows

lining

the

side

aisles.

Smaller,

6

sided

replicas

of

these

central

fixtures

are

hung

in

the

east

and

west

auditorium aisles

and

in

the

west

vestibule.

Similar

wrought-iron

fixtures

are

attached

directly

to

the

ceiling

(not

suspended)

in

5

other

locations

around

the

auditorium.

Fifteen

double

hung

sashed

stained

glass

windows

in

groups

of

three

along

both

outer

aisles

exhibit

the

elaborate

tracing

and

drip

molding

commonly

utilized

during

that

era.

East

coast

traditional

design

heritage

was

combined

with

images

reflecting

the

area's

citrus economy

by

placing

three

oranges

with

leaves

in

the

bottom

panels

of

the

stained

glass

windows.

The

lower

level

of

the

building

contains

meeting

rooms,

and

utility,

kitchen

and

office

areas.

The

large

meeting

area

(Fireplace

Room)

beneath

the

auditorium

can

be

divided

into

four

smaller

areas

by

an

ingenious

system

of

three

wooden

roll-up panels

and

six

sliding

wooden

pocket

doors

that

match

interior

walls.

Centered

in

the

north

wall

of

this meeting

area

is

a

9

foot

wide

brick

fireplace

flanked

by

twin

craftsman

style

inglenooks.

Stairs

from

two

side

vestibules

lead

up

to

the

single

doors

in

the

tower

bases.

A

small

elevator

was

installed

(1978)

in

the

west

side

vestibule

to

allow

wheel

chair

access

entrance

to

the

upstairs

auditorium

from

the

Mill

Street

sidewalk.

Much

of the

early

economy

of

this

foothill

area

between

flat

valley

farmland

and

roadless

mountains

had

depended

upon

cutting

and

milling

wood

from

mixed

conifer

forests

since

the

late

1850's.

Ox

,

horse,

or

mule

teams

were

used

for

bringing

supplies

to

Porterville

and

hauling

lumber

away.

The

arrival

of

a

railway

(in

1888)

made

it

possible

to

transport

both

milled

and

unmilled

timber

between logging

towns

and

the

San

Francisco

Bay area.

Wood

was

easily

available

and

in

these

early

days

the

most

commonly

used

material

for

building.

Early

records

suggest,

that

at

least

some

of

the

douglas

fir,

pine,

red

oak,

and

cedar

used

in

building

the

Congregational

NPii

Form 10-900-a

OMB

Approval

No.

1024-OOta

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

—1

———

Page

———

^-Porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

Church

was

shipped

from

San

Francisco.

It

is

likely,

however,

that

ail

the

cedar

Callf

ornia

shingles

and

much

of

the

pine

came

from

this

area.

Certainly

the

use

of

wood

was

integral

to

the

design

and

architecture

of

many

local

homes,

many

of

which

in

older

sections

of

town

also

conform

to

mid-west

and

eastern

U.S.

architectural style

in

exterior

design.

Lavish

use

of

elegantly

crafted

wood

in

interiors

also

reflects

the

New

England

heritage

of

early

families.

Blacksmiths

were

essential

in

a

community that

depended

on

horses;

design

and

production

of

wrought-iron

articles was

a

highly

competitive

trade.

Local

craftsmen

were

available

to

provide

church

ornaments

such as

the

light

fixtures.

Some

of

the

older

homes

and

many

of

the

downtown

business

buildings

were

built

from

locally

produced

bricks.

The

large

fireplace

for

which

the

Fireplace

Room

is

named

was

made

with

some

of

these

same

bricks.

Several

local

rock

quarries

provided

roughly cut

blocks

and

slabs

such

as

were

used

on

the

front

face,

and

for

the

foundation

and

steps

of

the

church.

The

cornerstone

itself

was

hauled

from

a

nearby

hillside.

Components

for

the

pipe

organ

are

installed

in

the

north

balcony

as

well

as

in

an

adjacent

room

in

the west

tower.

Other

components

are

in

a

room

to

the

left,

above

and

behind

the

pulpit,

and to

the

right

of

the

altar

in

a

room

behind

the

choir

loft.

In

1

963

the

organ

console

was

moved

from

the

choir

loft

onto

the

auditorium

floor.

A

description

and

history

of

this

pipe

organ

is

separately

attached.

On

October

26,

1

936,

fire

destroyed

the

southern

wall

of

the

sanctuary,

a

portion

of

the

altar

and

recessed

chancel,

part

of

the

organ

and

the

entire

gymnasium

south

of

the

auditorium.

The

restoration,

by

R.

Hodgson

and

Sons,

Porterville

contractors,

from

plans

prepared

by

Fred

Swartz,

a

Fresno

architect,

took

nearly

a

year.

The

exterior

and

the

interior

of

the

church

were

restored

exactly

as

they

had

been

before

the

fire,

except

for

the

second

story

gymnasium

that

had

been

built

over

the

orLainal

swimminn

pool.

Because

of

limited

funds

the

"Institutional" gymnasium

was

not

rebuilt

so

the

south

end of

the

building

today

is

one

story

high.

A

social

hall

with a raised

stage

was

built

over

the

swimming

pool,

which

was

covered

over

by

a

2

1/4"

tongue

and

grove

red

oak

floor.

Adventuresome

persons

today

can

climb

down

the

ladder

under

the

social

hall

and

walk

from

the

deep to

the

shallow

end

of

the

old

"swimming

tank".

The

two

tower

rooms,

used

for

classrooms,

became

storage

rooms

for

the

pipe

organ

and

elaborate

Christmas

decorations

after

1961

when

the

new

classroom

complex

was

built

south

of

the

1908

structure.

Clear

glass

casement

windows

in

the

east

and

west

tower

classrooms

were

covered

with

shingles

in

1

976.

The

casement

windows

are

still

visible inside

these

east

and

west

tower

rooms.

NFS

farm

10-900-a

OMB

Approval

No.

1024-OO18

(8-86)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

.

I-

California

Section

number

'

•

a

Page

——2——Porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

In

1864

this

site

was

dramatically

framed

by 10,000

foot

high

snow

-capped

peaks

that

today

still

provide

a

backdrop

for

the

church's

towers.

Whatever

Porter

Putnam's

reasons

for

designating

these

3

lots

for

a

church

building,

the

site

remains

close

to

the

center

of

town

activities.

Because

the

surrounding

agricultural

area

is

predominately

orchards

the

sky

is

as

bright

today

as

when

settlers

first

came

to

this part

of

California.

Main

Street

remains

a

vital

business

thoroughfare.

Many

of

the

old

residences

surrounding

the

church

retain

their

charm

of

an

era

past,

with

healthy

large

100

year

old

trees

shading

the

streets

and

buildings.

SECTION

8:

STATEMENT

OF

SIGNIFICANCE

Summary

The

Porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

as

it

was

built

in

1908,

meets

National

Register

Criteria

A

as

a

property

associated

with

events

from

1908

to

1936

that

have

made

a

significant

contribution

to

the

development

of

Porterville's

and

southern

Tulare

County's

social,

cultural

and

educational

history.

Since

1908

this

'Institutional

Church'

has

been

the

place where

church

members

and

non-members

of

Porter

Putnam's

"planned

city"

can

gather

for

worship,

recreation, community

meetings,

musical

concerts,

recitals,

and

education.

The

building

also

meets

Criteria

C

as

a

property

that

embodies

distinctive

characteristics

of

a

type

and

period

of

architectural

design.The

building,

in

excellent

condition,

is

the

only

example

of

Shingle/Bay

Area

Traditional

design

and

Gothic

Revival

architectural

style

on

this

scale

to

be

found

in

California's

San

Joaquin

Valley.

Historical

Significance

Located

along

the

Tule

River

in

the

southern

San

Joaquin

Valley

(Tulare County)

mid-

way

between

San

Francisco

and

Los

Angeles,

Porterville

began

in

1859

as

a

station

for

changing

horses

on

the

overland

stage-line.

In

1864

Royal

Porter

Putnam,

care

taker

of

the

stage

horses,

surveyed

forty

acres

along

the

Tule

River.

In

his

effort

to

plan

a

community,

he

designated

the

three

lots

at

the southeast

corner

of

Mill

and

Fourth

streets

as

a

church

site.

Detailed

and

faithfully

kept

church

records

since

1891

NPS

F«m

10-900-a

(8-86)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

California

Section

number

———

-

—

Page

———

^-^>

0

rterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

describe

the

careful

financial

planning

and

many

decisions

made

by

an

increasing

group

of

new

citizens

to

build

an

edifice

that

would

have

multiple

uses

for

the

entire

community.

There

was

an

urgent

desire

to

civilize

this

rough,

cowboy

saloon/brothel

area

with

culture,

education,

'proper'

recreation,

and

respectable

entertainment.

To

meet

this

need

the

First

Congregational

Church

built

an

"Institutional

Church"

in

1908.

This

was

a

place

where

young

people

"received

a

healthy

outlook

on

life

through

development

of

body,

mind,

and

spirit

by

an

emphasis

on

physical

fitness,

mental

training,

religious

ideals,

citizenship,

and

service".

It

was

the

only

auditorium

in

the

area

where

250

people could

gather

comfortably

for

social

and

cultural events.

With

construction

complete

in

1908,

the

building

quickly

became

a

community

institution.The

first

daily

kindergarten

began

in

1908

with

a

paid

teacher

from

Oakland.

Parents

paid

50

cents

per week

for

each

child

four

to

seven

years

old.

The

church

kindergarten

lasted

at

least

six

years.

Being

a

large

rural,

agricultural

area

with

a

sparse,

scattered

population,

public

school

district formation

was

slow and

conservative.

Tulare

County

Schools

History

(1852-1970)

records

that

private

schools

were

the forerunners

of

public

schools

and

that

the

first

public

kindergarten

for

Tulare

County

opened

in

Porterville

in

1914

across the

street

from

the

church

building

on

Mill

Street.

The

indoor

swimming

pool

and

second

story

gymnasium,

completed

in

1908

south

of

the

auditorium,

were

the only

pool

and

gymnasium

in

this

southern

part

of

Tulare

County.

Two

additional lots

south

of

the

building,

bought

in

1915

by

the

church,

were

used

for

the

first

community

tennis

courts.

Swimming

lessons

and

recreational

swimming

took

place

at

the

"swimming

tank"

until

the

early

1930's.

Because

of

the

very

hot

summers,

the

nearby

irrigation ditches,

and

the

Tule

river,

swimming

was

both

a

cooling

off

recreation

and

a

life

saving

skill.

A

private citizen,

Mr.

Weed,

built

a

large

swimming

pool

in

1918

for

paid

public

use.

A

municipal

pool

(1953)

and

high

school

swimming

pools

(1976)

were

built

only

much

later.

The

gymnasium

was

used

for

team

sports, physical

fitness,

and

a

meeting

hall

for

the

Boy

Scouts

until

it

was

destroyed

by

the

1936

fire.

A

comprehensive

public

high

school

had

been

built

in

1923.

The

following

year

the

first

public

school

gymnasium

and

tennis

courts

were

built.

In

this

southern

part

of

Tulare

County,

therefore,

church-

owned

recreational

facilities

preceded

similar

public

facilities

by

more

than

15

years

for

a

gymnasium

and

tennis

courts,

and

10

years

for

a

swimming

pool.

OM6

Approval

No.

1024-00)9

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

California

Section

number

——§——

Page

——I—Porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

In

1908

the

church rented

a

small

portable

organ

for

fifty

cents

a

month

so

music

could

accompany

worship

services

and

silent

movies.

Movies

were

shown

weekly

in

the

auditorium

until

1928.

Elsewhere

in

town

an

opera

house,

which

burned

in

1914,

and

movie

theaters

built

after

1916,

offered

vaudeville-type

entertainment

which

was

not

considered

uplifting and

proper

by

the anti-saloon

citizens.

Thus,

"to

promote

a

higher

level

of

welfare

for

society",

literary

recitations,

'character

lectures'

by

teachers

and

community

leaders,

dramas,

high

school

choral

concerts,

vocal,

piano

and

instrumental

lessons

and

recitals

were

scheduled

in

the

church

building

from

1908

until

1923

when

the

auditorium

at

the

new

(1923)

high

school

became

available.

Architectural

Significance

The

completion

of

the

First

Congregational

Church

in

1908

gave

this

community

an

excellent architectural

example

of

Shingle/Bay Tradition

design

and

Gothic

Revival

style.

It

is

the

only

representative

of

this

architectural

style

ever

built

anywhere

in

the

southern

San

Joaquin

Valley.

Throughout

the

area

earlier

(1870-1916)

wooden

structures

had

burned

down,

so

later church

construction

(1909

to

1923)

used

mostly

granite,

brick,

or

cement

block.

The

elegant

edifice

of

the

Congregational

Church

building

reflects

the

desires

of

settlers from

the

mid

western

and

eastern

United

States

to

replicate

what

they

had left

behind.

It

is

an

excellent example

of

building

design

and

construction

that

served

human

needs

of

a

new

frontier

settlement.

The

design

of

the

stained

glass

windows

are

artistically

unique.

The

bottom

panels

depict

three

oranges

and

citrus

leaves,

reflecting

the

citrus

industry

begun

in

1896

and

well

established

by

1908

when

the

church

was

completed.

The

use

of

wood,

both

on

the

interior

and

the

exterior

of

the

building,

reflects

its

availability

from

logging

in

this

area

in

the

early

1900's.

The

carefully

Grafted

finishing

of

the

wooden

interior represents

the

fine

craftsmanship

of

that

day.

The

use

of

stone

and

granite

slabs

on

the

exterior

foundation

anchors

the

building

to

the

indigenous

resources

available

in

local

quarries.

Bricks

were

fired

in

local

kilns.

Ornamental

wrought-iron

objects

were

crafted

by

local

blacksmiths

The

three

lot

site

and

building

at

Fourth

and

Mill

Streets

have served

Porterville

and

surrounding

communities

since

1908 as

a

venue

for

meetings,

recreation,

entertainment,

culture,

and

education.

Since

the

1936

fire

and

restoration,

the

building

has

undergone

very

few

changes.

It

has been

well-preserved

and

lovingly

maintained.The

setting,

similarly

unchanged,

remains

between

an

old

residential

area

with

tree

lined

streets

and

the

downtown

business

area

on

Main

Street.

The

high

rising

profile

of

the

west

spire,

the

shingle-clad

exterior,

and

interior

Gothic

arches,

all

continue

to

offer

inspirational

space

to

a

still

evolving

region

of

California.

This

building

is

an

historically

and

architecturally

significant

land

mark.

VPS

Perm

10-900-a

OM8

Appm*

**>.

1084-401*

18-86)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

California

Section

number

—§——

Page

——§——Porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

PORTERV1LLE FIRST

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

PIPE

OR£AN

HISTORY

This

pipe

organ

is

believed

to

be

the

oldest

functioning

Wuriitzer

in

California.

The

original

pipe

organ

was

a

1916,

Style

3,

seven

rank

Wuriitzer

built

for

the

Peluxe

Theater

in

Los

Angeles.

The

console

had

two

manuals

and

was

the

first

Wuriitzer

to

be

metalled

in

Los

Angeles.

San

Francisco

had

the

only

other

Wuriitzer

in

the

state

at that

time.

In

the

late

192O's,

when

"talkies"

arrived

in

theaters,

the

pipe

organ

that

accompanied

silent

movies

became

worthless.

Because

it

was

"improper"

for

a

church

to

buy

an

organ

that

had

been

used

for

entertainment

In

a

theater,

these

worthless

theater

organs

were

stripped

of

their

drums,

whistles,

horns

and

other

"toy

ranks."

The

remaining

ranks

were

renamed

to

sound

more

ecclesiastical;

consoles

were

sanded

and

stained

darker

to

make

them

look

more

ecclesiastical.

These

theater

Wurlitzers

were

then

called

"Robert

Hope

Jones

Concert

Organs"

and

bogus

stories

were

made

up

to

make

them

"acceptable"

and

saleable

to

our

conservative

valley

churches.

The

most

common

story,

according

to

Tom

Delay

of

Fresno,

who

has

renovated

our

organ,

was

that

"a

large

mid-western

church

was

in

financial

difficulty

and

needed

to

get

rid

of

a

highly

valued

pipe

organ

quickly

at

a

bargain

price!"

The

organists

from

the

theaters

became

the

church

organists,

They

played

the

old

theater

organs

and

recognized

the

same

sounds,

only

under

a

different

name]

On

March

2,1931

the

current

organ

was

dedicated.

It

was

brought

to

forterville

from

the

Peluxe

Theater

in

Los

Angeles

and

was

installed

by

Charles

Herschmann from

San

Francisco.

The

church

was

told

that

it

had

come

from

"a

large

church

in

Chicago!"

The

dedication

organist

was

Harold

A.

Cole,

who

had

been

a

member

of

our

church

since

1913.

He

was

also

a

piano

teacher

and

composer.

Today

at

least

four

church

members

confess

to

taking

piano

lessons

from

Mr.

Cole,

including

Marjorie

Wright

Richardson,

Bill

Rodgers,

Carol

Blackman

Leesch

and

Eleanor

Moore

Foerster.

Bill

dodgers

remembers

playing

the

piano

offertory

on

Sundays

in

the

1920's.

His

mother,

Grace

Redfield

Rodgers,

was

the

church

organist

and

played

on

the

old

pump

organ.

Harold

Cole

and

other

organists

served

until

1942,

when

Elizabeth

Neufeld

became

our

loyal,

dedicated

organist;

she

is

still

our

organist

in

1993.

NPS

Form

!0-900-a

(B-86J

CMS

Approval

No.

1024-0013

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number—————

Page

——2——Porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

California

On

October

25,1936

a

fire

partially

destroyed

the

church

and

damaged

the

pipe

organ.

The

Crome

Organ

Company

of

Los

Angeles

repaired

and

rebuilt

the

organ

in

1937,

and

recognized

it

as

the

old

Wurlitzer

from

the

Los

Angeles

Deluxe

Theater.

(The

Crome

Organ

Company

still

builds

pipe

organs

in

Reno,

Nevada.)

While

the

Crome

Company

was

in

Porterville

repairing

the

organ,

Richard

Villeman

found

a

two

note

pipe

organ

tuba

chest

on

the

road

while

walking

home

from

playing

the

pipe

organ

at

the

Monache

Theater.

The

name

"Wuriitzer"

was

stamped

on

the

wooden

chest.

He

knew

that

the

organ

at

the

church

was

being

repaired,

so

he

took

it

there.

It

had

fallen

off

the

truck

and

the

Crome

Company

could

not

find

it;

the

tuba

chest

is

stiil

in

use

in

the

organ

today.

Richard

Villeman

was

a

key

person

in

keeping

ciphers

out

of

the

organ;

he

tuned

and

maintained

the

organ

from

1937

until

his

death

October

10,19£V7.

His

tender

love

for

this

organ

made

it

easier

to

restore

in

1993.

In

1963,

the

relay

system

and

combination

action

for

this

antique

Wurlitzer

were

movejeast

of

the

church

secretary's

office

(behind

the

key

closet).

At

that

time

the

original

Wuriitzer

was

expanded

and

modified

by

Richard

Villeman

to

become

a

"swell

organ."

This

swell

organ

and

the

carillon

(purchases

from

donations

in

memory

of

Richard Moore

in

1955),

with

reserved

space

for

a

future

solo

organ

division,

are

located

behind

the

choir

loft.

Also

in

1963,

the

organ

was

expanded

from

seven

ranks

to

twenty-four

ranks

by

special

gifts

from

church

families.

A

four

manual

Moeller

console

with

a

full

AGO

pedal

board

was

purchased

from

Pomona

College's

Little

Bridges

Hall

of

Music

in

Claremont,

California

by

Paul

and

Marguerite

Moore

and

was

given

to

the

church.

This

console

was

dedicated

in

1964

in

memory

of

State

Senator

J.

Howard

Williams

who

had

served

as

our

church

Moderator

for

16

years.

five

new

organ

divisions,

the

Great,

Choir

and

Pedal

(all

located

behind

the

ministers

pulpit),

the

Antiphonal

(exposed

on

the

balcony

in

the

back

of

the

church)

and

the

echo (enclosed

left

off

the

balcony)

were

also

donated

by

Paul

and

Marguerite

Moore

and

installed

by

Richard

Villeman

in

1965.

In

1966

new

viola

and

violin

pipes

were

added

as

gifts

from

church

families.

New

grills,

shutters

and

false

pipes

were

added

to

the

sanctuary

behind

the

choir

loft

and

in

back

of

the

ministers

1

pulpit,

the

wood

work

done

by

Paul

Moore.

The

grills

on

both

sides

of

the

balcony

were

added

for

architectural

symmetry

by

woodcraftsman,

Ray

Neufeld.

The

choir

loft

and

choir

railing

were

remodeled

in

1963

by

Paul

Moore.

SPSFormlO-SOO-a

OMB

Approval

No.

IO24-4O18

(8-S6)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8<

9

Page

——^Porterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

California

Major

repair

and

renovation

were

started

to

upgrade

the

organ's

functioning

in

preparation

for

tha

church's

ona

hundred

year

celebration

In

Novambar,

1991.

Tha

Moallar

and

Robert

Mortan

swell

shades

were

rabuilt

Undar

tha

leadership

of

Joe

Faura,

Church

Moderator,

1991

and

1992,

ovar

$45,OOO

was

raised from

75

church

families

and

several

church

auxiliary

groups

to

upgrade

and

modernize

the

organ.

Jhe

money

raised

also

enabled

a

substantial

endowment

fund

to

be

established

to

provide

for

futura

repairs

and

maintenance.

Tha

setter

action

power

pneumatics

were

replaced

with

solid

state

relay

units.

Tha

pull

stops

on

the

console

were

AGO

standardized

and

special pipes

were

repaired

or

added.

A

transposer

was

added

to

enable

the

automatic

"changing

of

keys"

to

accommodate

soloists,

allowing

tha

organist

to

play

the

music

In

the

original

key.

An

electronic

mamory

was

added

to

allow

up

to

four

organists

to

preset

their

own

stops

and

hold

them

"In

mamory"

until

they

are

needed

by

that

organist.

Theorgan

now

contains

twanty-

four

ranks

and

has

been

prepared

to

expand

to

thirty

aight

ranks.

SECTION

9.

MAJOR

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL

REFERENCES

First

Congregational

Church

Historian

scrapbooks:

1878

-

Present.

Business

Directory-Porterville:

1880

(before

railroads

came

in

1888),

p.

193.

First

Congregational

Church

Meeting

Minutes:

1891-1998.

School

Directories

of

Tulare

County:

1911-12,

1914-15.

Porterville.

California.

An

Appreciation

of

the

Past:

Volumes One

and

Two

InaH.

Stiner,

1956,

self-published,

pp.

333-336.

First

Congregational

Church

75th

Anniversary

booklet:

1966

JPSFomi

10-900-a

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

9

'

10

Page

——H-forterville

First

Congregational

Church,

Tulare

County,

California

History

of

the Organization

and

Administration

of

Public

Schools

in

Tuiare

County:

1852-1970

Waverly

Dean

Hall,

Dissertation,

University

of

Southern

California,

1972.

pp.

3,4,20,21,63,64,229,232,233.

The

Pioneer

Communities

of

Porterville.

Vandalia

and

Piano.

Volume

One

Rodney

Homer,

1982,

self

published,

pp.

263,264.

City

of

Porterville

Historic

and

Cultural

Resources

Inventory:

Final

Report

July,

1986.

Prepared

by

Terry

Winkler,

Wendell

Vaughn

Jr.

and

Porterville

Planning

Staff.

First

Congregational

Church

100

Year

History:

1891-1991.

100th

Anniversary

Porterville

High

School:

1896-1996.

Oral

interviews

with

long

time

area

residents

and

church members:

Veda

Herbage

(93

years),

Edna

Smith

(94

years),

Esta

Mae

Hinton

(88

years),

Elma

Lentine

(84

years),

Bill

Rogers

(88

years),

Jeff

Edwards,

Joe

Faure,

Joyce

Smith

and

others.

Porterville

Recorder

newspaper

tiles:

various

dates.

Verbal

Boundary

Description

The

property

is

a

rectangular

parcel

measuring

109

feet

by

150

feet

encompassing

Lots

One

(1),

Two

(2),

and

Three

(3),

in

the

West

half

of

Block

20

of

the

City

of

Porterville,

in

the

City

of

Porterville,

County

of

Tulare,

State

of

California,

as

per

Map

recorded

in

Book

3,

Page

18

of

Maps

in

the

office

of

the

Tulare

County

Recorder.

Lots

Four

(4)

and

Five

(5),

owned

by

the

church

have

been

excluded

because

the

tennis

courts

were

covered

over

with

a

separate

building

in

1961.

Verbal

Boundary

Justification

The

nominated

property

includes the three lots

historically

associated

with

the

church

that

Porter

Putnam

designated

in

his

survey

of

1864.

Qu

*3

r

CO

CJ

L£

cfT

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