St. James' Episcopal Church is a parish of the Episcopal Church in South Pasadena, California, and part of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.
| St. James' Episcopal Church | |
|---|---|
 St. James Episcopal Church in 2022 | |
  St. James' Episcopal Church Location within Los Angeles County  St. James' Episcopal Church St. James' Episcopal Church (California)  St. James' Episcopal Church St. James' Episcopal Church (the United States) | |
| 34°06′42″N 118°09′13″W / 34.1116991°N 118.153701°W | |
| Location | 1325 Monterey Road, South Pasadena, California[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Denomination | Episcopal |
| Tradition | High Church Anglicanism |
| Churchmanship | Progressive |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Dedicated | May 19, 1907 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Bertram Goodhue of Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson[2] |
| Style | |
| Years built | 1907[1] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Province VIII |
| Diocese | Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | Vacant |
| Priest in charge | Rev. Dr. Michelle Baker-Wright |
| Assistant priest(s) | Rev. Gethin Wied |
| Honorary priest(s) | Canon Anne Tumilty |
| Laity | |
| Organist(s) | Jason Klein-Mendoza |
| Treasurer | Komal Tolani |
| Youth ministry coordinator | Lucy Yates |
| Music group(s) | Sarah Gonzalez, Music director |
| Parish administrator | Sara Jane Thies |
| Sacristan | James Holguin |
The church's mission is "To Learn, to Love, to Live the Word of God."[4]
History
editThe church began informally in 1890 as St. Andrews Mission, with support from All Saints Episcopal Church in nearby Pasadena.[2] In 1905, a temporary structure was built on the corner of Monterey Road and Fremont Avenue, where the current church would be later built.[2]
Building
editThe historic church was designed by chief architect Bertram Goodhue[2] of Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson in a mix of Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival architectural styles.[3] The church is #33 on South Pasadena's list of historic landmarks.[2] The stained glass windows were made by Judson Studios.[2][5]
In 1919, a $3,000 (equivalent to $53,000 in 2023) addition was started, which included a stage and dressing rooms.[6] The chimes were donated to the building by aviator Pancho Barnes,[7] who, on January 5, 1921, had married Rev. C. Rankin Barnes at the church.[7]
The tower was damaged in the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake.[8] When the tower was repaired and retrofitted to meet earthquake protection standards,[2] the chapel's pillars were narrowed, which had been obstructing views of the front of the church from rear pews.[8]
Notable events
editThe church was the site of the 1929 wedding of actress Bessie Love to William Hawks, attended by such celebrities as Ronald Colman and William Powell, mobbed by a crowd of 25,000, and documented in Cecil Beaton's Diaries.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b "Chapter V: Historic Preservation Element" (PDF). City of South Pasadena General Plan. p. V-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Our History". St. James' Episcopal Church.
- ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form" (PDF). p. 39.
- ^ "St. James' Episcopal Church". The Episcopal Church.
- ^ "Judson Stained Glass Studios began 88 years ago in LA" (PDF). Highland Park News-Herald. March 3, 1984.
- ^ "Los Angeles". The Living Church. Vol. 62, no. 9. December 27, 1919. p. 283.
- ^ a b Spark, Nick (12 August 2015). "Chimes for St. James Episcopal Church". The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club.
- ^ a b Tansey, Ben (May 22, 2019). "A Rich Tapestry of Historical Churches: SPPF 'Architecture of Faith'". South Pasadenan.
- ^ Beaton, Cecil (1961). "America 1929–1931". Diaries: 1922–1939, The Wandering Years. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. LCCN 62-8059.
- ^ "L.A.'s Big Show: Marriage of Bessie Love", Variety, vol. 97, no. 12, p. 6, January 1, 1930