Institution

First Congregational Church

This driving tour will acquaint you with the numerous historic churches of Tacoma, their architects, and the various communities of people who established these houses of worship. It is an adaptation of a booklet previously published by Historic Tacoma. 

The location of Pastor McFarland's home remains to be fully determined, however it is presumed to be a dwelling adjacent to the church at the corner of C Street and S 11th, just up the hill from the Alpha Opera House. It is reported that the Committee of Fifteen stopped by Pastor McFarland's home to demand that he fire his Chinese servants, but he did not employ any. Angry at about the confrontation, Pastor McFarland began to sermonize on the issue which led to him being targeted by the publisher and editor of the newspaper. As a result, the level of community anger about his sermons were such that he began carrying a gun to protect himself and his family.

Rev. McFarland was vocally against the forced removal of the Chinese community. He is mentioned in the Weathered Diary and there are articles about his opposition in the newspaper. Pastor McFarland was relatively new to Tacoma, having arrived in August 1885. Prior to the events leading up to the expulsion, he'd not had any dealings with the Chinese community.

First Presbyterian Church (Pastor Rev. McFarland)

Over its many years the congregation has worshipped in three different church buildings and one town hall as well as in a large tent. The first church was erected in December 1882 at 11th and Broadway (where the Woolworth building is now). As the city grew, the congregation built again in June 1890 at South 10th and G Streets, near the old Pierce County Court House.The church expanded rapidly under the leadership of Dr. Clarence W. Weyer, who came in December 1915 and started eleven Sunday Schools throughout Tacoma which later became Presbyterian churches. These were the turbulent years of World War I. The church expanded so rapidly that planning began in 1921 for the current church building.Designed by the famous Boston church architect Ralph Adams Cram, this masterpiece in Romanesque architecture has an 1,100-seat sanctuary and 150-seat chapel, social halls, and educational spaces for Sunday and weekday activities (including a preschool and elementary). The building is rich in Christian symbolism expressed in stone, wood, stained glass and mosaic. When it was built it had the largest Reuter pipe organ west of the Mississippi. It's still used to this day for Sunday morning worship services.Under the leadership of Dr. J. Renwick McCullough, from 1936 to 1949, the church congregation grew to its maximum size. During World War II the church opened its doors and beds for servicemen; and the ladies of the church cooked meals for them every weekend. Over the period of McCullough's ministry the church sent out over 20 missionaries around the world.Another dynamic pastor, Dr. Albert J. Lindsey, came in 1949. He enlarged the church's vision to world-wide missions and radio ministry. Week-long missions' conferences were held yearly as well as week-long Vacation Bible Schools for children. The Tacoma Bible Institute, which Dr. Lindsey founded and served as president for its first ten years, held classes two nights a week. He started a 15-minute daily radio broadcast, called "Good News", on a local radio station until he retired in 1983. "Good News" reached thousands of people all over the Northwest.In December 1986 First Presbyterian purchased the Buckley-King Mortuary building to provide the church with additional office and meeting space. A new pastor, Rev. Eric Jacobsen, was installed in June 2005. His vision of reaching out to the neighborhood has sparked renewed growth and vitality; and his leadership is providing new direction for this historic urban church.Learn more about this building by following the links below.

Predating the official founding of New Tacoma by eight months, seven people met with the regional Presbytery on July 27, 1873 to form "The Tacoma Presbyterian Church". This eventually became today's First Presbyterian Church. The financial crash of that year scattered many in the small congregation, but the church was reinstated on September 11, 1877. This church has a long history in Tacoma.

First Presbyterian Church (1925)

The Gothic Revival style First United Presbyterian Church allowed for community gathering. The social hall was originally open every night of the week. The business community of Sixth Avenue district supported the church and helped the building committee raise funds. The Sunday School building originally housed twenty six classrooms with a roof garden for social functions during the months of summer. The auditorium was designed to seat four hundred community members. The large tower over the front door is a truncated, but originally was designed to have a tall steeple.This building showcases a vast amount of complicated concrete stonework and window tracery for this building which were created by Hector MacLaine. The concrete stonework the building displays was the first of it's kind of work to be produced in the city of Tacoma, previous churches had sent to other cites for the molds. Native of Scotland Hector was trained as a Shipwright and made more than two hundred different molds, each crafted mold was turned with carpenter hand tools.

The first historic building on the Wedge Historic District walking tour is located at 1619 Sixth Avenue in Tacoma. This Gothic Revival style First United Presbyterian Church was designed in 1922 by two architects who were brothers, Stanley T. and Frederic Shaw. Historically this building has been a place for the community to gather.

1619 Sixth Ave - Trinity Presbyterian Church (1922)

Organized in Old Town in 1888, the church was originally called Second Presbyterian. At that time services were held in the old Lowell Elementary School. In 1889 the church purchased the current site at the comer of North 9th and J Streets. The congregation built a wooden church in 1891 and changed its name to Immanuel Presbyterian Church. During the early 1900s a larger church was needed and the architectural firm of Russell &amp; Babcock was hired to design a new building. The present building was constructed in 1909. The church school building was added in 1929.The current church is Mission Revival in style, and is the only ecclesiastical example of this architectural style in Tacoma. The structure cost $20,500 to build. The Tacoma News Tribune reported in 1909 that the main auditorium is "the most beautiful of any church in Tacoma." The building is also unusual because the tower is located at the rear of the structure. This design modification was to accommodate the site's sloped lot. Another unusual feature is the sloped ramp to the narthex. instead of the more typical stairs. This feature is also due to the lot's steep incline.The sanctuary was designed to seat 400. The exposed dark-stained wood trussing is part of the original design and has been maintained.The original straight grain fir flooring is still visible. The sanctuary showcases a number of beautiful stained-glass windows. The stained glass windows along the nave are original. Interior modifications are minimal. In the 1950s the chancel and choir loft areas were remodeled and the cerulean blue stained glass window was installed. The window was manufactured by the Philadelphia studio of D'Ascenso.In 1927 the church decided to construct a new educational wing. Period images show a Mission styled structure to the left of the church, attached by an open loggia. The building was originally designed to front J Street, in keeping with the main church. However, the finished structure sits to the back of the lot. Stanley T. Shaw served as architect for the addition.The church architect Ambrose Russell was born in India, son of a Scottish missionary. By age 18 Russell decided to design buildings and enrolled at the University of Glasgow. He soon won a scholarship to attend the renowned École des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he became friends with classmate Bernard Maybeck. In 1884 Russell became one of famed architect H. H. Richardson’s last apprentices before his death. Before moving to Tacoma in 1892, Russell worked in several U. S. cities, including a brief partnership with Maybeck in Kansas City. He was associated with a number of architects and firms, including Albert Sutton, P. H. Heath, Spalding, and Babcock.

The Mission-style Immanuel Presbyterian Church was designed in 1908 by architect Ambrose Russell. He is considered one of Tacoma's most prominent architects of historic buildings from the early 1900s. It was placed on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places in 2024.

Immanuel Presbyterian Church (1908) - 901 North J Street

Holy Rosary was formed in 1891 by German Catholics. Building lots were purchased at the current site and a small wood church was used for services. A parochial school was started in 1892. In 1912 congregational growth necessitated a new church. The old wooden church was closed and services were held for nine years in the school auditorium. The current church was dedicated in 1921. The stained glass windows are thought to have been made in Belgium. But contemporary newspapers were far less interested in the furnishings of the church than in the heating system. Reporters wrote prolifically about the unusual choice of electric heat for the new sanctuary. The church was the largest building in Tacoma heated by electricity at this time and several reports indicated that this was the first time a church on the West coast had used electricity for heat. Holy Rosary dominates the skyline of Tacoma and is a landmark structure that can easily be seen from the interstate highway. The tower is more than 200 feet high and was originally topped by a gold leaf and glass cross. The cross, lost in the 1965 earthquake, was replaced by a large aluminum one manufactured by students at Tacoma Vocational and Technical Institute in 1966

Holy Rosary was formed in 1891 by German Catholics. Building lots were purchased at the current site and a small wood church was used for services. A parochial school was started in 1892. In 1912 congregational growth necessitated a new church. The old wooden church was closed and services were held for nine years in the school auditorium. The current church was dedicated in 1921.

Holy Rosary Church

Christ Episcopal Church was founded by the Reverend Lemuel Wells, as a daughter congregation of St. Luke's Memorial Church, then in downtown Tacoma. The new church, a Gothic building which seated 300, was named Trinity Chapel and was built for $8,000. The first services were held on December 8, 1889. In 1926 financial difficulties forced the two congregations to merge on the Trinity site and the new parish became Christ Church. (During the 1930s a different Episcopal congregation bought the Old St. Luke's Church building and  moved it to its present location.) The parish hall was built in 1927 and named Wells Hall in honor of the reverend Wells. In 1957 the connection building between the parish hall and the church was added and named Trinity House in commemoration of the two Episcopal parishes. By 1960 the old church building was declared unsafe, leading the way for the congregation to plan and build the current church, which opened in 1969. Designed by Paul Thiry, the new building stands in stark contrast to the brick parish hall and the old Gothic church it replaced. Thiry, a progenitor of International Modern design in the Pacific Northwest was given the prestigious American Institute of Architects' award in 1974 for the building. The materials and the design of the building are intended to focus on the people and the liturgical movement as the most important elements in the space. The warmth of the wood ceiling, the huge light ring, the stained glass windows, liturgical banners, the enameled Stations of the Cross and the John Brombaugh organ enliven the interior. The placement of windows throughout the building provides natural light and reflection that changes throughout the day and the seasons of the year. The immense curved wall behind the altar replicates the ancient form of the basilica and appears to embrace all who enter the sanctuary. The huge concrete cross in the courtyard stands as a symbol of those who have worshiped on this holy ground. The inscription at the based of the cross, "Except the Lord build the house," from Psalm 127, commits the congregation in this place to love and serve in the name of the Gospel.

Christ Episcopal Church was founded by the Reverend Lemuel Wells, as a daughter congregation of St. Luke's Memorial Church, then in downtown Tacoma. The new church, a Gothic building which seated 300, was named Trinity Chapel and was built for $8,000. The first services were held on the date of December 8, 1889.

Christ Episcopal Church 

First Baptist Church incorporated with ten members on March 28, 1883. The Tacoma Land Company donated the original two lots to the congregation. A year later, on March 16, 1884, the first building was dedicated on the current site. The young congregation grew quickly, and by 1891 made plans for a greatly enlarged church. Construction on the "new" building began in 1892. By 1921 First Baptist had again outgrown their building. The congregation started a capital fundraising campaign for a newer, larger home. The architectural firm of Heath, Gove, and Bell was contracted to design the structure.While original newspaper images show a large, ornate Greek Revival building, the finalized design was a subdued Gothic Revival styled structure. The original edifice was designed with glazed terracotta facing, a more inexpensive building material than the cut stone typically used for Gothic Revival structures. However, early in the construction process Robert Walker, owner of the Walker Cut Stone Company, made arrangements for the purchase of cut stone below market rates. The current structure has an auditorium which seats 1,250 and a banquet hall with a stage. The building was never intended to serve only as a religious space; it was designed to accommodate a variety of activities to better serve the community. One of the main differences between First Baptist Church and a traditional church is the seating in the sanctuary, which has Opera chairs and not pews. The question of whether or not First Baptist would remain in downtown Tacoma has been addressed several times in the church's history. Before construction of the current building, questions arose regarding relocation to a residential area that would be more convenient for the congregation's members. The decision was made to build in their current location because the outreach mission of the church was considered equally important as internal congregational needs. The most recent manifestation of this calling occurred on April 3, 2005 when the congregation of First Baptist voted to allow a new congregation to form, Urban Grace. This was not merely a name change, but a heroic effort to continue their mission of 122 years by becoming an interdenominational church. The new congregation firmly states that the building is a "community landmark, where people of all backgrounds and traditions are welcome...."In 2016, Urban Grace was the recipient of a grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places awarded by the Partners for Sacred Spaces and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to assist with needed repairs and restoration.

Originally known as the First Baptist Church, and now known as Urban Grace Church, the original congregation incorporated with ten members on March 28, 1883. The Tacoma Land Company donated the original two lots to the congregation. A year later, on March 16, 1884, the first building was dedicated on the current site. The young congregation grew quickly and by 1891 made plans for a greatly enlarged church.

First Baptist Church (1883; now Urban Grace)

First Evangelical Lutheran Church

First Evangelical Lutheran Church 

Tacoma Hongwanji Buddhist Church

Tacoma Hongwanji Buddhist Church 

First Church of Christ, Scientist

﻿First Church of Christ, Scientist

First Church of Christ, Scientist 

St. Rita Cascia Catholic Church 

Center for Spiritual Living 

New Jerusalem Church of God

Peace Lutheran Church 

Central Lutheran Church 

St. Paul Lutheran Church 

Sixth Avenue Baptist Church 

Church of St. Patrick 

Epworth-LeSourd United Methodist Church

Epworth-LeSourd United Methodist Church 

Although construction costs for the structure are uncertain (accounts list costs varying from $10,000 to $25,000) the solidly built church would have represented a substantial investment by its parishioners. On May 19, 1912 the church was officially dedicated with a number of festivities, including a parade to the new building. Period newspaper accounts describe the Gothic styled church as "strictly modern," with an auditorium large enough to seat 500. The stained glass windows were purchased in 1935 for the church's Silver Jubilee. St. Joseph's is an excellent example of the Gothic Revival style. The petite structure carefully utilizes the most essential elements of the style to convey solidity, respectability, and tradition. The lancet arched windows and doors, brick corbelling, set-back steeple and crenellations are all trademark Gothic details. The building is carefully proportioned with minimal detailing that might overwhelm the structure. The church continued to hold services in Slovak through the 1930s and was one of only a handful of Catholic Churches in the United States to do so. Even when services were no longer regularly held in the Slovak language, the diocese accommodated the ethnic origins of the congregation when possible. In 1970, native Czechoslovakian Reverend Michael Lucas was installed as priest for the congregation. Lucas had taught school and served as a chaplain in the army before escaping his homeland when fell to Communist rule. He arrived in the United States in 1951 and served as an assistant at St. James Cathedral in Seattle before transferring to St. Joseph's. He remained at St. Joseph's until 1983.

The first Slovakian immigrants arrived in Tacoma in 1888. Their numbers grew quickly to more than fifty families and in 1906 they petitioned the local Catholic Bishop for a church where services could be held in their native tongue. The congregation excavated the basement and laid the foundation themselves, with many parishioners working on the building after their regular daily duties were completed. It was the first Slovak Catholic church built in the Northwest, and at the time the only Slovakian Roman Catholic parish west of the Mississippi River. The church architect is C. Frank Mahon. Mahon was the architect for Holy Rosary Church in Tacoma, as well as St. Leo's Catholic School and Sacred Heart School at 45th &amp; McKinley Ave (now demolished).

St. Joseph's Catholic Church (1912)

In the early 1870s, Tacoma was a just small village along Puget Sound. The village began to grow rapidly in 1873, when it was announced that Tacoma would mark the western end of the Northern Pacific Railroad. However, it lacked a number of important facilities, including a church—up to that point, religious services had been held in tents or the local schoolhouse. When the Right Reverend Benjamin Wister Morris, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Oregon and Washington, visited the area in 1873, he urged residents to build a place of worship for the growing town.  The people of Tacoma heeded Morris’s call. In just one week they completed construction of St. Peter’s Church, which was built in the popular Carpenter Gothic style. It was a community effort, and the local Hanson and Ackerson Mill supplied the needed timber. A $120 organ was installed in the building, and the church quickly became a center of religious and community activity. Early services were usually led by laypeople or traveling clergy, often of different religious denominations.   In 1874, a year after St. Peter’s opened, it received a monumental gift—a 965 pound bell, donated by the Sunday school children of St. Peter’s Church in Philadelphia. The bell was a surprise, and the church did not have a belfry in which to house it. To remedy this, the top of a nearby tree was cut off, and the bell was hoisted to the top (local sailors accomplished this arduous feat by using the rigging from their ship). When its rings were examined, the tree was estimated to be over 300 years old, so the St. Peter’s belfry acquired the designation of being “The Oldest Bell Tower in America.”  The church has undergone a number of transformations since its founding. In its early years, local women planted ivy to decorate the church, and it quickly spread all over (and even inside) the building, remaining to this day. The original tree bell tower was struck down during a storm in 1935, and was replaced by a derrick that stood until 1956. Substantial renovations took place during the 1950s, and the church was paced on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It continues to serve the community in the 21st century, and is well-known in the area for being Tacoma’s oldest surviving building.

Built in 1873, Old St. Peter’s Church was one of the first churches constructed in Tacoma. Local residents constructed the building in only seven days at the urging and direction of the Right Reverend Benjamin Morris. In 1874, the church received a 965-pound bell from Philadelphia and workers converted a nearby tree into a makeshift bell tower to house the gift. The church has been serving the community since its founding, making this the oldest surviving building in Tacoma.    

Old St. Peter's Church 

Kalevaria United Methodist Church

Kalevaria United Methodist Church 

St. Peter &amp; Paul Catholic Church

St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church 

St. Paul's Methodist Church 

First Christian Church 

St. Luke's served as the pro-Cathedral for the region until 1891, when St. Mark's in Seattle was given the honor. Although the Episcopal population of Tacoma was strong, St. Luke's struggled with low attendance during the 1910s and '20s. Demographic shifts caused by a rapidly expanding downtown eventually leave the church underutilized and underfunded. The building is abandoned and sits decaying during the late 1920s and early 1930s. By l934 plans are finally made to demolish the structure and use the site for new homes.The potential demolition of the well-known landmark galvanized Tacomans into what was perhaps the city's first preservation effort, saving St. Luke's. The Tacoma Society of Architects appealed for a halt to the demolition. The "For the Honor of Tacoma" campaign begins to raise funds to move and rebuild the church. During 1934 the building stones were carefully marked and the church was moved, one block at a time. A new building lot was located in the North End and the church was reconstructed and re-consecrated by 1947. The church was enlarged during the rebuilding, the transept removed from the original design was added and the chancel was lengthened by 18 feet.Portland, Oregon Architect Joseph Sherwin is responsible for the church's design. Sherwin was responsible for designing the first Pierce County Courthouse in Tacoma (1882) and the original Central School (1883). St. Luke's is modeled after an English country church. Its elaborate detailing, lancet arched windows, brackets, engaged buttresses and combination of smooth and textured stone which might seem overwhelming on a larger structure create a visually rich presence for the petite building. Wilkeson sandstone was used for the exterior.

In 1874 Charles Wright, a railroad magnate involved with the Northern Pacific Railroad donated the downtown property for the church, which was then located at 602 Broadway. Wright also provided $30,000 for construction of the church. Wright is a familiar name to Tacoma residents. He is responsible for substantial donations to some of the city's best-known landmarks, including Annie Wright School, Charles Wright Academy, Christ Episcopal Church, the University of Puget Sound, and Wright Park. Wright's youngest daughter, Annie selected the Gothic Revival style architecture of the church. Originally built in 1883 at 602 Broadway, the church was dismantled in 1934 and reassembled brick-by-brick at its present location. The reconstruction started in 1935 and was completed in 1947.

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Sacred Spaces: Tacoma's Historic Sacred Places

First Congregational Church

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