Three views from inside the Pasadena First Methodist Church (Photos – Marina Khrustaleva)
The First Methodist Church in Pasadena is celebrating 150 years since the congregation was first established and 100 years of the marvelous Gothic building.
By Marina Khrustaleva
During the first half century, Methodists outgrew three church buildings: a tiny one at Orange Grove and Palmetto (1876), an ornate wood church with a 140-foot spire at Colorado and Marengo (1888), and its massive stone replacement (1900) later relocated stone by stone to Hollister Street and completed in 1924.
The main sanctuary of the 1924 building is a head-spinning combination of Gothic fan vaults, kaleidoscopic stained-glass windows, and the Akron floor plan typical for Methodist churches. The result is jaw-dropping; it is by far the most spectacular church interior in Pasadena. To the delight of historians, the chapel kept the rose window from the third church building, and the bell from the second building is exhibited in a cloister.
The festivities are scheduled for this weekend, November 16th and 17th at First Methodist Church’s present location: 500 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. At 11:00 am on Sunday, Eric Dyson will present his documentary on the church history – hopefully, with a couple minutes of my contribution.
The small chapel (Photo – Marina Khrustaleva)
(Photo – Marina Khrustaleva)
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