Churches

Mr. Stewart collected statistics, pictures, and articles on fifteen Forest Grove churches. Although the type and quantity of information in the collection on each church varies, the churches include:

1. Assembly of God - fgachurch.com 2 First Baptist - fbfg.org 3. Central Baptist 4. First Christian - firstchristianforestgrove.org 5 Christian Science 6 Methodist Episcopal Church (Church of Christ) 7 First Congregational Church 8. Bethel Full Gospel 9. Gospel Hall 10. Jehovah's Witness 11. Methodist Church 12. Mount Olive Lutheran Church - mtoliveforestgrove.org 13. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 14. Seventh Day Adventist Church - fgsdachurch.com 15 Saint Anthony's Catholic Church

=First Baptist=

Dr. Gilbert, "Schools and Churches"

"In 1852 a group of settlers started a Baptist church at the home of William Porter, a Baptist minister."

=Christian Science=

First Church of Christ Scientist, Christian Science Society, 1916 1904 Pacific Avenue //Forest Grove Inventory of Cultural Resources// (1985)

"__ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION__ The First Church of Christ Scientist is built in the Georgian style, a revival of the 17th and 18th century colonial architecture. Features of windows, the low-pitched hip roof with boxed cornice and frieze and the bilateral symmetry of of the facade.

The building is one story, rectangular with the main entrance projecting slightly from the center of the narrow north side of the structure. The wood and glass, multi-paned, double doors are original. A large fanlight is above the doors and a hip roof caps the entrance. These projections have flat roofs and side entrances consisting of multi-paned single doors with fanlights.

__CONTEXTUAL DESCRIPTION__ The church is situated on a busy corner on the edge of the central business district. It is similar in scale to the buildings surrounding it. The lot is simply landscaped primarily with shrubs around the rear. The overall appearance of the church is one of refinement and moderation.

__HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE__ S. S. Beman, an architect from Chicago designed the church and James A. Loynes was the builder. The church was completed in 1916. The Estey pipe organ was made in Brattleboro, Vermont and was donated by Adeline Rodgers', one of the church's founding members. This is the first Christian Science Church founded in Washington County and the only Georgian Revival building in Forest Grove."

For further information and a current photo, see Christian Science Church, by the FG Historic Landmarks Board.

=Methodist Episcopal Church (Church of Christ)=

Methodist Episcopal Church 1803 Birch Street City of Forest Grove, Washington County Cultural Resource Inventory, 1985

"__Architectural and Historical Significance__:

In 1843 a Methodist camp meeting was held near the present city of Hillsboro. This is thought to have been the beginning of Methodism in the Forest Grove area. In 1852 a Methodist circuit rider was appointed to serve the Chehalem and Tualatin circuits which served most of Washington County. Finally in 1865 the first permanent building of the Methodist Church in this area was constructed in Forest Grove. It is believed to have been a small wood frame structure which stood on the south-east corner of what is now 19th Avenue and Elm Street. In 1881 the property on 18th and Birch was secured from Percival I. Keeler. The holding ran approximately between the present 18th and 19th Avenues and was 150 feet deep. A new parsonage was built on the site of the present sanctuary and in 1883 the second church building was constructed on the land which would later be used for another parsonage. In the early 20th century it became evident that an even larger facility would be necessary. On March 12, 1911 the building in discussion here was dedicated. It had been built at a cost of $17,500.

The original style chosen for the structure was Spanish Colonial, or Mission Style, which included corvilinear gabled ends and a stucco finish. In 1943-44 alterations were needed to be made due to dry rot beneath the surface. As a result of this the handsome gabled ends were changed to the standard medium pitch and the stucco was replaced by sawn cedar shakes. Today the most notable architectural feature is the original stained glass windows which depict various biblical themes and symbols. They are both in simple one-over-one sash frames and elaborate Gothic style encasements. Their place of origin is not known at this time (mid-1980s).

In 1942 the small building to the east of the church was built for purposes of enlarging the Sunday School facilities. It was called "The Methodist Children's Temple". Though it is presently used as a parsonage, and inscription in the adjacent sidewalks denotes its original name and date. In 1978 the United Methodist Church dedicated a new building on 17th and Cedar and the church, along with the Sunday School buildings, was sold to the Church of Christ."

See also Methodist Episcopal Church (2002), by City of Forest Grove.

=First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ)= History : "Forest Grove UCC springs from the Congregational part of the tradition. It formed when, in 1845, seven settlers of the Oregon Country gathered in a log building that also served as a, school, on what is now the campus of Pacific University. It is the oldest mainland United Church of Christ congregation west of Missouri, and has met in four church structures since that log cabin. The present building was constructed in 1978." It is a one block square located from Pacific to 21st Street and Main to College Way. It was called "the church square" in the 1800s. For more information, see //A Changing Mission: The Story of a Pioneer Church// by Carolyn M. Buan (1995).


 * Congregational Church Square c. 1912** (EGS Box 1/ Folder 7/ Position 35-36)

=Saint Anthony's Catholic Church=

For history from their website, click here.

See also Schools and Churches by Margaret Gilbert

Other area religious institutions and centers, which have been founded more recently, in the Forest Grove / Hillsboro area include:

Chabad Jewish Center Hillsboro Hindu Educational & Cultural Society in Hillsboro (OR) Oregon Buddhist Vihara, a Sri Lankan Buddhist place of worship in Hillsboro (OR) Muslim Educational Trust in Tigard (OR) Sikh Center of Oregon in Beaverton Unitarian Universalist Church of Washington County in Hillsboro (OR)