Old North Church (ONC) is in

Sierra Madre, California Sierra Madre (Spanish language, Spanish for "mother range") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, with a population of 11,268 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley below the southern ...

and is a

historic landmark A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

building built in 1890, one of the oldest

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

es and buildings in Sierra Madre. The Old North Church is owned by its builder Sierra Madre Congregational Church, called First Congregational Church of Sierra Madre at the time of completion. It is site #50 on Sierra Madre designated historical landmarks list. There are forty-eight properties listed on Sierra Madre's Designated Historical Properties List. In September 2018 Sierra Madre Congregational Church changed its name to Christ Church Sierra Madre.

History

The Old North Church was constructed by hand with local wood. It is located on the north side of the current Sierra Madre Blvd at Hermosa. In 1890 Sierra Madre Blvd was a dirt street called Central Avenue. Old North Church is currently owned by its builder, Sierra Madre Congregational Church. The Old North Church is closely linked with the early settlement of Sierra Madre. The community of Sierra Madre was established in the fall of 1881. Sierra Madre Congregational Church started as a

Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

class in February 1882. Without a building of its own, the church originally met in the city's original 1882

one-room school One-room schoolhouses, or One-room schools, have been commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, and Spa ...

house at the corner of Hermosa and Live Oak, now called Orange Grove. To use the schoolhouse as a church on Sunday mornings, the

pump organ The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reed aerophone, free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ ...

, hymnbooks, and winter

firewood Firewood is any wooden material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not heavily processed, and is in some sort of firelog, recognizable log or branch form, compared to other forms of wood fuel like pellet fuel, pellets. ...

were transported to the schoolhouse by the attendees. The following years the Church met in the original

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

at the corner Baldwin and Central Ave (Sierra Madre), then the original city

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

(1889), located at the current library site. With the completion of the Old North Church in 1890, the church had its own meeting spot. The first service was held on August 17, 1890 and a formal dedication was held December 14, 1890. The land for the old North Church was donated by C.E. Cook and W.S. Andrews. Congregational Church of Sierra Madre was officially established on March 27, 1886, as a

nondenominational church A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. The term has been used in the context of various faiths, including Jainism, Baháʼí Faith, Zoro ...

congregational church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...

, with 13 founding members, called ''First Congregational Church of Sierra Madre'' then. One of the 13 founding members was Mrs. Annetta M. Carter (1846-1937), wife of the city founder Nathaniel Coburn Carter (1840-1904). From 1908 to 1910 the Old North Church was expanded with the addition of new meeting rooms, a kitchen and bathrooms. Also in 1910, a furnace was installed to replace the wood-burning stove. The Church's second, and the current, main building was built across the street. Construction of the new building started in 1926 with Pritchard Hall and was completed in 1928 with the new sanctuary dedicated on June 17, 1928. The sanctuary cornerstone was laid on Feb. 19, 1928. The 1928 Church building is also a Sierra Madre designated historical landmark, as site #39. Having outgrown the Old North Church in the mid-1920s, the Congregational Church of Sierra Madre built a new stone Church in a

Romanesque Revival architecture Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

style, designed by

Marsh, Smith & Powell Norman Foote Marsh (July 16, 1871 - September 5, 1955) was an American architect in practice in Los Angeles from 1900 until his retirement in 1945. He specialized in the design of schools and churches and worked mostly in California and Ariz ...

. Later after the move, the Old North Church was rented to the First

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism during the late 19th century. The denomination has its headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas. and it ...

in 1939, then purchased by them in 1942. After the Church of the Nazarene outgrew the Old North Church, it was sold back to Sierra Madre Congregational Church in 1976. Congregational Church purchased back the Old North Church for the use of its youth and children, its current role. Sierra Madre's

Cub Scouts Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with some Scouting, Scout organizations, for young children, usually between 8 and 12, who are too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise. A participant in the program is called a Cub and a gro ...

Pack 373,

Boy Scouts Boy Scouts or Boy Scout may refer to: * Members, sections or organisations in the Scouting Movement ** Scout (Scouting), a boy or a girl participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America ...

Troop 373, a

Scouts BSA Scouts BSA (known as Boy Scouts until 2019) is the flagship program and membership level of Scouting America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations i ...

troop, meetings are held in the Old North Church. Troop 373 was founded in the Old North Church in 1924.

Pack 373 was started in 1971. Troop 373 was one of the founders of the Sierra Madre

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

that then ran from historic

Sierra Madre Memorial Park Sierra Madre Memorial Park is a historic landmark park in Sierra Madre, California. The public park is dedicated to Sierra Madre residents who have served in the U.S. Armed forces. The park has monuments, a band shell, tennis court, playground, c ...

(across the street from the ONC) to historic

Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery, is a cemetery and a historic landmark in Sierra Madre, California. History In 1881, Nathaniel Coburn Carter purchased land located along Central Ave., later renamed Sierra Madre Boulevard, for use as a Cemetery f ...

. On February 24, 2024, Troop 373 celebrated is 100 year anniversary. The Old North Church survived the

1991 Sierra Madre earthquake The 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake occurred on June 28 at with a moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 5.6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of VII (''Very strong''). The thrust earthquake resulted in two deaths, ...

relatively undamaged. The 1928 building had damage to the

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

, which was torn down brick by brick and rebuilt. The original ONC bell tower was built with a

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...

shaped roof, modeled after a Dutch church in Holland. Later the Church of the Nazarene changed the bell tower to have a more classic pointed

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

. The bell tower housed the 1893 bell weighing 517 pounds, in 1928 the bell was moved to the new south bell tower. In 1890 Old North Church attendees had to walk, ride a horse or ride in a horse buggy. In January 1906 the

Pacific Electric The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned Public transport, mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electr ...

street car was installed and rolled in front of the Old North Church, on the

Sierra Madre Line The Sierra Madre Line was a Pacific Electric interurban route which ran from the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles to Sierra Madre. History The line opened to Pasadena on March 1, 1904. Cars were run through on the Lamanda Park Li ...

, each day from January 1, 1906, till service ended on October 6, 1950. Mrs. Annetta M. Carter, wife of Nathaniel Coburn Carter, was key founder of Sierra Madre Congregational Church. Nathaniel and Annetta married in Feb. of 1864 and had five children. Annetta M. Pierce (Carter) and Nathaniel both were natives of

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...

, Nathaniel came to California for his health in 1871. In February 1881, Nathaniel Carter purchased the original 1103 acres that comprised the new city of Sierra Madre. The land was acquired in three purchases: 845 acres of

Rancho Santa Anita Rancho Santa Anita was a land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California given to naturalized Scottish immigrant Hugo Reid and his Kizh people wife. Reid built an adobe residence there in 1839, and the land grant was formally recognized ...

from

Lucky Baldwin Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin (April 3, 1828 – March 1, 1909) was "one of the greatest pioneers" of California business, an investor, and real estate speculator during the second half of the 19th century. He earned the nickname "Lucky" Baldwin ...

, 108 acres from the

Southern Pacific Railroad Company The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

and 150 acres from John Richardson. With no church in the new small town Annetta Carter helped form the worship group in 1882 that became Sierra Madre Congregational Church. The ONC bell was made and installed in 1893, and has the quote on it "Let him who hears come." The bell was made by Meneely Bell Foundry, Troy, NY. The bell was presented to the Church by Mr. A. S. Bixby, from

Bixby Knolls, Long Beach Bixby Knolls is a neighborhood in Long Beach, California, named after the Bixby family. Location Bixby Knolls is an area of Long Beach adjoining North Long Beach to the north, California Heights on the southeast, Wrigley on the southwest. ...

. The bell was used for Sunday services and funerals, but also had a civic duty, to alert the all-volunteer Fire Department. The original 1904 Pastor's

parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...

house was on the north side of Central Avenue (about 127 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard), but as the city grew the house was now on a busy street, so in 1923 the parsonage was moved to Hermosa, just south of the main Church building. Just to the west of the Old North Church are two other historic buildings: a 1919 Old

Mortuary A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cus ...

(was Ripple Mortuary, now called the New Life Center) and the 1915 Caretaker

American Craftsman American Craftsman is an American domestic architectural style, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which included interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts, beginning in the last years of the 19th century. ...

home (now called the Hospitality House). Both structures were purchased by the Church in 1986. The 1928 sanctuary has stained glass windows that were given as memorials. The north side of the sanctuary has four Apostles windows and on the south side are the four Prophets windows. The sanctuary east and west walls have two large windows, the east and the Angel window with the verse "Glory to God in the Highest." and the circular west window is "Christ the Teacher," that was given by the Women's Society and dedicated all the children of Sierra Madre. The lower south widows were a gift from Dick and Dotty Anderson in 2008. Memorial chimes were installed in 1944 into the tower, these played on the hour. In 1971 Sierra Madre Congregational Church and Bethany Church started the Sierra Madre Christmas Candlelight Walk. The first Candlelight Procession was led by Pastor Bob Vander Zaag of Bethany Church and Rev. Richard Anderson of Sierra Madre Congregational Church. In September 2018 Sierra Madre Congregational Church changed its name to Christ Church Sierra Madre.

Gallery

File:Old-North-Church-Sierra-Madre-California-1890.jpg, Old North Church in Sierra Madre at completion in 1890 Image:Original Sierra Madre City Library.jpg, Original 1887 Sierra Madre City Library on Central Ave, renamed Sierra Madre Blvd in 1936. Sierra Madre Congregational Church temporary meeting place in 1889. Image:Sierra Madre Town Hall 1895.jpg, Original Sierra Madre Town Hall (with Cigar Factory next door) at Baldwin and Central Ave (now a gas station) . Sierra Madre Congregational Church temporary meeting place. Image:Central Ave Sierra Madre CA 1904-Old North Church .jpg, Central Ave, Sierra Madre, CA in 1905. A mule team is grading the Ave for the installation of the 1906 Pacific Electric street car, in the background is the Old North Church with the original barn roof bell tower. File:OldNorthChurchSierraMadreCalifornia1909.jpg, Old North Church Sierra Madre California 1909 Image:Sierra_Madre_Memorial_Park_-_SM_Blvd_and_Hermosa.jpg,

at Sierra Madre Blvd and Hermosa looking North. From foreground to background: Weeping Wall Veterans Memorial, Sierra Madre Veterans Time Capsule bench, 1905 World War I Cannon, Sierra Madre Boulevard, The Old North Church and the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains () are a mountain range located in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert ...

File:OldNorthChurchSierra_MadreCalifornia1906.jpg, Old North Church in 1906, looking North on Hermosa Ave. File:GordonMarquisLafayette.jpg, Marquis Lafayette Gordon, (1843 - 1900) first pastor from 1886 to 1887. File:BoysRace1890_SMCC_SMBlvd.jpg, First Congregational Church of Sierra Madre Sunday foot race of Church boys in 1890 on Central Ave (Sierra Madre Blvd). Looking west, the camera is in front of the Old North Church. File:Groundbreaking_SMCC_1924_onSMBlvd_SM_Ca.jpg, Pastor Arthur O. Pritchard's Groundbreaking ceremony in 1926 of the historic Sierra Madre Congregational Church in Sierra Madre, Ca. The historic 1896 Sierra Madre Congregational Church's Old North Church in the background. File:SMCC1928 SMCC onSMBlvd SM Ca.jpg, Building historic Sierra Madre Congregational Church in 1926 on Sierra Madre Blvd. File:HermosaHouse_pastor_house1923.jpg, Hermosa House, Sierra Madre Congregational Church Pastor house in 1923. The Pastor's house was built in 1904, just east of the Old North Church on Sierra Madre Blvd. In 1923 the house was moved off the main blvd onto Hermosa, just south of the 1928 Church. File:School house SM Ca 1881.jpg, Sierra Madre, Ca one-room school house in 1881, at the corner of Hermosa and Grove Grove. Grove Grove was called Live Oak in 1881. Starting in 1882 on Sunday the school house was used by First Congregational Church of Sierra Madre founded by Mrs. Annetta M. Carter, wife of the city founder Nathaniel Coburn Carter. A pump organ played by W.S. Andrews and hymn books were take to the school each Sunday till the Church moved to the original 1887 Sierra Madre City Library on Central Ave in 1889, renamed Sierra Madre Blvd in 1936. Then the original 1895 Sierra Madre Town Hall at Baldwin and Central Ave, then to the second Sierra Madre School house, on the northwest corner Baldwin and Central, just north of Kersting Court and in 1896 to the Old North Church. File:RevEphraimEPAbbott.jpg, Rev Ephraim E. P. Abbott, (1841-1919) pastor from 1888 to 1898 ArthurOPritchard1925.jpg, Arthur O. Pritchard, pastor at the opening of the new Church Building in 1927.

Notable pastors

*Marquis (Marcus) Lafayette Gordon MD (1843-1900), pastor 1886 to 1887. First pastor, part-time. A medical missionary to Kyoto, Japan. He was in Sierra Madre for one year with his wife Agnes and four children. *Lucien Haskell Frary, (1839-1903) pastor from 1887 to 1888 *Ephraim E. P. Abbott, (1841-1919) pastor from 1888 to 1898. *W. H. Stubbins, (Rev. William Henry Stubbins 1869–1946) pastor 1898 to 1900. * Rev. Charles S. Rich, (1870-1913) pastor from 1902 to 1903. * Dr. James M. Campbell D. D., (1840-1926) pastor from 1903 to 1912 *William H. Hannaford pastor 1912, 1914-16 *Fred Staff, (?-1925) Pastor from 1913 to 1914 and again from 1923 to Nov. 1925, from 1914 to 1916 he returned to Sweden, his native country. Died while pastor. He is honored in SMCC's Fred Staff room. Came from First Congregational Church of Grand Rapids, Wisconsin. * Rev. C. C. Wilson, pastor 1914 to 1920. * Rev. W. J. Thompson (Rev. Dr. William J. Thompson), pastor from March 1920 to 1923 (his last church to pastor), from

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

came to the US in 1910, later was president of United

Amateur Press Association An amateur press association (APA) is a group of people who produce individual pages or zines that are sent to a Central Mailer for collation and distribution to all members of the group. They began in the late 19th century. History The first A ...

of America. * Arthur O. Pritchard, pastor at the time of the opening of the new building in 1928, Pritchard Hall is named after him. Pastor from 1926 to 1940. From Hollywood Congregational Church * George Lindsay pastor from March 1956 to 1964, 20th pastor, (no Sr. Pastor till Howell) *Rev. David Howell Jr. pastor 1966 to 1968. * Richard (Dick) Anderson, Sr. Pastor for 40 years, from 1968 to 2008. He is honored in SMCC's Anderson Terrance. *James J. Stewart Jr., associate pastor, then pastor at Journey Covenant Church,

Redondo Beach, California Redondo Beach (Spanish for ) is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent Beach Cities, beach c ...

and

Rancho Palos Verdes, California Rancho Palos Verdes is a coastal city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated on September 7, 1973, the city has a population of 42,287 as reported in the 2020 United States census. The city sits atop the bluffs of ...

. *Ken Cromeenes, Pastor of Administration 1980s to 2000s. *John H. Reed, associate pastor 1986 to 1996, former

Army Chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

. *Tim Thompson, associate pastor (May 2002 – October 2008) and founder of The Church Works. *Rick Bundschuh youth pastor 1978, author of ''Deep Like Me: (Or Another Failed Attempt to Walk on Water)'', and founder of Kauai Christian Fellowship in 1991. *Jim Zeilenga, pastor of outreach from April 1987 to March 2004. then pastor at Valencia Hills Community Church, then Desert Springs Baptist Church. * Larry Mills, minister of Christian education, 2000s *

John Eldredge John Eldredge (born June 6, 1960 in Los Angeles) is an American author, counselor, and lecturer on Christianity. He is known for his best-selling book '' Wild at Heart''. Life and work Eldredge received his undergraduate degree in theater from ...

associate pastor 1983–1988, now author, counselor, and lecturer on Christianity. *Brian Anderson, youth pastor 1987–1990, now Pastor at Mission Hills Church. *Steve Wiebe, youth pastor 1992–1999, then founder and director of Neighborhood Urban Family Center. Senior Pastor at Glendale Presbyterian Church since 2021. *Rick Mumford, youth pastor 2004 to 2006, then with KC Metro, then Search Ministries. *Johnny Johnston, youth pastor 2006–2010. now Jennersville Campus Pastor, Willowdale Chapel, Kennett Square, PA *Roger Van Spronsen, associate pastor 1988–2009, now pastor at Life Christian Fellowship. *Paul S. Beck, Sr. pastor for six years, 2008 to 2014. Now Senior PastorSenior Pastor at Loudonville Community Church *Steve Miller, Intentional Interim Senior Pastor of Sierra Madre Congregational Church, 2014 to Nov. 2016. *

Gavin Ortlund Gavin Rutherford Ortlund (born June 30, 1983) is an American theologian, professor, author, and Christian apologist. Operating through his public ministry Truth Unites, Ortlund is known for defending theologically conservative evangelical Prote ...

, associate pastor (October 2014 to Nov. 2016) and former youth Pastor at SMCC (Oct. 2010-Oct 2014). Son of Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr. and Grandson of Raymond C. Ortlund Sr. Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Ojai from 2016 to 2023. Gavin Ortlund is now the full time head of Truth Unites, an apologetics voice to today's culture. *Abel Burke, youth Pastor at SMCC for 6 years (2012 to March 2018), now Pastor at Ambassador Church and Redemption Bible Church San Dimas * Dr. Hugh Ross, pastor for outreach and

apologetics Apologetics (from Greek ) is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and recommended their f ...

from 1971 to present (part-time starting in 1987, Emeritus starting 2021), Also see

Reasons to Believe Reasons to Believe (RTB) is an American nonprofit organization that promotes day-age forms of old Earth creationism. It was founded in 1986 by Hugh Ross, a Canadian-born astrophysicist and creationist Christian apologist. Former Vice-Presiden ...

. *Josh Swanson, Sr. Pastor, Dec. 2017 to present, previously with Hope Church in Albuquerque, NM. (''Name changed to Christ Church Sierra Madre'') *Dr. Robert Covolo, Pastor of Theological Formation & Missional Engagement and Director of Pastoral Residency and Internship Program. 2018 to present. Also Affiliate Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at

Fuller Theological Seminary Fuller Theological Seminary is an Evangelical seminary in Pasadena, California, with regional campuses in the western United States. It is egalitarian in nature. Fuller has a student body of approximately 2,300 students from 90 countries and ...

*John Stothers, Executive Pastor, 2017 to present, previously Church Music Director, previously music director for a number of music projects. * Justin Sapp Director Communications Director, Creative Director, (also a Youth Pastor), 2018 to 2022. Now head of Sapp Stories. *Wisdom Mira-Wee, Pastor, Youth Ministry, 2021 to present. *Jonathan Wee, Director of Outreach Ministry, 2021 to present Jonathan Wee, ''christchurchsm.org''
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References

External links

Christ Church Sierra Madre, (formally Sierra Madre Congregational Church official) web sitefacebook.com, Christ Church Sierra MadreJemaat Kristen Indonesia Anugerah Church, Church in the Old North Church, Sunday afternoons JKI Anugerah - Grace Indonesian Christian Fellowship
{{DEFAULTSORT:Old-North-Church, Sierra Madre, Ca Churches in Los Angeles County, California Churches completed in 1890 Churches completed in 1928

History

Gallery

Notable pastors

See also

References

External links