First Congregational Church of Riverside

{{short description|Historic church in California, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = First Congregational Church of Riverside

| nrhp_type =

| image = FirstCongregationalChurch20090821f.jpg

| caption =

| location = 3504 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, California

| coordinates = {{coord|33|58|54|N|117|22|16|W|source:NRIS2013a|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = California#USA

| built = 1913

| architect = Elmer Grey Myron Hunt

| architecture = Spanish Colonial Revival

| added = April 3, 1997

| area = {{convert|0.8|acre|ha}}

| refnum = 97000297{{NRISref|version=2013a}}

}}

The First Congregational Church of Riverside is a historic United Church of Christ church at 3504 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside, California. It was designed by Myron Hunt, and built in 1913. It was added to the National Register in 1997.

It is a two-story Spanish Colonial Revival building with a Latin cross plan with a {{convert|125|ft|m}} Churrigueresque

style corner tower.{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=97000297}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: First Congregational Church of Riverside |publisher=National Park Service|author=Janet Tearnen |author2=Lauren Weiss Bricker |date=January 25, 1997 |accessdate=February 20, 2019}} With {{NRHP url|id=97000297|photos=y|title=accompanying 12 photos from c.1920, 1932, and 1996}}

Overview

The church was founded in 1872 and is a part of the United Church of Christ (UCC). The main pastor is Kristen Nelson, who pursued her theological education at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has also served as a Hospital and Hospice Chaplain, Director of Programs for a Domestic Violence Shelter, Spiritual Care Counselor for Hazelden Betty Ford, and Interim Pastor for a number of congregations in Minnesota.

The congregation has a long history of social activism and continues to be a voice for progressive Christianity in the Inland Empire area.[https://theievoice.com/faith-in-the-inland-empire-riversides-oldest-church-more-open-than-most/ ‘’The Voice’’ newspaper]

See also

References