First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Encyclopedia
The First Unitarian Church of Oakland, in Oakland, California
, was designed in 1889 by Walter J. Mathews
. This solid masonry Romanesque
church departed radically from California's traditional Gothic
wood frame construction. Noted for its world-famous stained glass
windows produced by Goodhue of Boston and for arching redwood spans, the widest at that time west of the Rocky Mountains
, the church remains a significant cultural and architectural landmark.
The church is listed as California Historical Landmark
#896, and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NPS-77000284). The building site was purchased in November 1888 from Jane K. Sather, a patron of the University of California
. Construction began in 1890 and was completed in September 1891, although it began to be used for various activities while still unfinished. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake
damaged the building, but did not destroy it.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, was designed in 1889 by Walter J. Mathews
Walter J. Mathews
Walter J. Mathews was an American architect based in Oakland, California. He was best known for his designs of Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles and the First Unitarian Church of Oakland....
. This solid masonry Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church departed radically from California's traditional Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
wood frame construction. Noted for its world-famous stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows produced by Goodhue of Boston and for arching redwood spans, the widest at that time west of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, the church remains a significant cultural and architectural landmark.
The church is listed as California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#896, and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NPS-77000284). The building site was purchased in November 1888 from Jane K. Sather, a patron of the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
. Construction began in 1890 and was completed in September 1891, although it began to be used for various activities while still unfinished. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
damaged the building, but did not destroy it.