California, Santa Cruz County, Watsonville
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A wooden church was first built on this site in 1864 designed by James Walter. It was moved to Ford Street in 1901, and a larger English Gothic style edifice designed by William H. Weeks was constructed in 1902. It has a seating capacity of 625 persons, and 150,000 feet of lumber were used in the construction of the interior. Four tons of copper and sheet lead comprised the roof trim, gutters and valleys. The tall spire rose 132 feet into the air and its slate sides could be seen for miles on a bright day. Crowning the spire was a gilded bronze cross.
As the finishing touches were being put on the church in January of 1902, architect Weeks commented, “A building not built for a day, a week, a year, but a building that will look little worse for years when we have ceased our earthly activities, and the youngest member of today will have reached the time allotment of three score years and ten.”
Although the church had to be rebuilt on a larger scale after the 1989 earthquake, it has beautifully retained its original look. It makes a graceful entrance to the city of Watsonville.
(Churches, Etc.) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
A wooden church was first built on this site in 1864 designed by James Walter. It was moved to Ford Street in 1901, and a larger English Gothic style edifice designed by William H. Weeks was constructed in 1902. It has a seating capacity of 625 persons, and 150,000 feet of lumber were used in the construction of the interior. Four tons of copper and sheet lead comprised the roof trim, gutters and valleys. The tall spire rose 132 feet into the air and its slate sides could be seen for miles on a bright day. Crowning the spire was a gilded bronze cross.As the finishing touches were being put on the church in January of 1902, architect Weeks commented, “A building not built for a day, a week, a year, but a building that will look little worse for years when we have ceased our earthly activities, and the youngest member of today will have reached the time allotment of three score years and ten.”
Although the church had to be rebuilt on a larger scale after the 1989 earthquake, it has beautifully retained its original look. It makes a graceful entrance to the city of Watsonville.
(Churches, Etc.) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.