Historic Property #5: 2950 Bedford Avenue; First Church of Christ, Scientist
Year Built: 1933
Architect: George Sellon
Builder: James Morton
Architectural Style: Eclectic, incorporating Tudor and Gothic elements
The First Church of Christ Scientist in Placerville began as a small group of Christian Scientists meeting in a private home in 1901. By 1909, the group was recognized as a Christian Science Society, and services were held in various locations, including private homes, the Grange Hall, Masonic Hall, Eagle Hall, and the Shakespeare Club. In 1927, the Society purchased a lot at Bedford and Union Street, and construction of their church building commenced. Services began in the completed building in 1933, and the church was dedicated in 1934. In 1936, the Society applied to the Mother Church to change its name to First Church of Christ Scientist, Placerville, a change that was accepted in 1937. A reading room was also opened in 1936.
First Church of Christ, Scientist; Circa 1938
In 1954, the church was moved to its current location at 2950 Bedford Ave. to accommodate the construction of Highway 50. Remarkably, the brick veneer church was moved intact, without losing a single brick, a feat considered unusual given the steep terrain. The new location offered improvements such as increased parking space and the addition of a basement. In 1957, a Sunday School classroom addition was constructed on the west side of the church.
The building itself is characterized by its brick veneer, accentuated by patterned masonry, and tall, narrow Tudor-style windows. It also features three gabled dormers, a steeply pitched roof, arched Gothic doorways, and a large rear chimney. For many years, the church's identity was conveyed by modest wall-mounted letters reading, “First Church of Christ, Scientist.”
In 2018, the church installed an innovative sign on its front lawn, featuring an eight and a half foot shepherd’s staff fabricated by local blacksmith Dennis Dusek, and graphics by sign painter Shannon Chard of Yellow Sail Design. Church members and families collaborated on the installation. Nestled beside the Tudor Revival Shakespeare Club Clubhouse, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, is a complementary example of classic 1930s Tudor Revival architecture.
