First Church of Christ, Scientist, built in 1901, is an historic

Mission Revival The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...

-style

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...

church located at 3606 Lemon Street in

Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It has been called: "the church that introduced Christian Science to Southern California." It was designed by noted

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

architect

Arthur Burnett Benton Arthur Burnett Benton (April 17, 1858 – 1927) was an American architect. Life He was born in Peoria, Illinois. He studied at the School of Art and Design, at Topeka, Kansas. He worked for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. He moved ...

. On September 22, 1992, First Church of Christ, Scientist, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. It is still listed in the ''Christian Science Journal'' as an active Christian Science church. Christian Science was discovered by Mary Baker Eddy in 1866. October 24, 1900, was the occasion of the laying of the cornerstone for First Church of Christ, Scientist, Riverside. Notice of completion of the construction of the building was filed February 10, 1901. The dedication and first regular Sunday service were held on February 24 of that year. Christian Science had actually been publicly introduced in Riverside some nine years previous, and the Christian Science Journal for October 1891 has listed: “Regular Sunday Services of Scientists.” They met in the home of Emma Stanton Davis, a student of Mrs. Eddy, who had moved to Riverside in 1887 and began healing work. Records in the Archives of the Mother Church in Boston, Massachusetts, show that Riverside was the first location in California where a class-taught student lived. The architectural style of this church is primarily Mission Revival due to the influence of the renowned architect, Arthur Benton. Just one block from the church is Benton's Mission Inn, which is internationally known. He also designed the Riverside Municipal Auditorium which borders on the south end of the church property. The interior of the church was designed in the craftsman tradition with natural or lightly stained wood, with vertical and horizontal beams exposed. In the 1950s, all wood and ceiling rafters were covered and painted white with a blue decoration. This reflects a more classical tradition which may have been preferred by the congregation.

References

External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places in California Churches in Riverside County, California Buildings and structures in Riverside, California Christian Science churches in California National Register of Historic Places in Riverside County, California Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in California Landmarks in Riverside, California Churches completed in 1901 1900s architecture in the United States Mission Revival architecture in California Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in California