Pisgah Home Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pisgah Home Historic District
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Pisgah Home, 2008
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 Location in Los Angeles
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| Location | 6026-6044 Echo St. & 6051 A-D Hayes St., Highland Park, Los Angeles, California |
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| Built | 1895 |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 07001304 |
| Added to NRHP | December 19, 2007 |
The Pisgah Home Historic District is a special historical area in Highland Park, California. It was once the center of the Pisgah Home movement. This movement was started in the early 1900s by Finis E. Yoakum. He was a person who believed in healing through faith and worked to improve society. The Pisgah Home is also important because it is connected to the start of the modern Pentecostal church. For over 100 years, this place has been a mission. It has helped people through religious and charitable work. Today, the area is known as the Christ Faith Mission/Old Pisgah Home.
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Finis E. Yoakum's Story
Finis Yoakum (1851-1920) started the Pisgah Home movement. He first worked as a medical doctor. He focused on mental and brain problems. He even taught about mental diseases at Gross Medical College in Denver, Colorado.
In July 1894, Dr. Yoakum was badly hurt in an accident. He moved to Los Angeles in 1895. He hoped the warm weather would help him get better. After going to a Christian Alliance prayer meeting in 1895, Dr. Yoakum felt much better. He believed his healing was a miracle. He later wrote that he had visions. These visions told him to create a mission to help people in need.
Yoakum's Gold Mining Interest
Even though he started his mission around 1900, Dr. Yoakum still had other business interests. One of these was gold mining. In 1897, the Los Angeles Times newspaper wrote about Dr. Yoakum. He claimed he had found a new way to find gold using "X-Ray Prospecting."
Dr. Yoakum said he put a piece of gold-filled rock on an X-ray plate. He was taking an X-ray of a patient at the time. The X-ray showed where the gold was in the rock. Dr. Yoakum thought X-rays could be used in mine tunnels. They could show if gold was there, exactly where it was, and how much. After this, Dr. Yoakum became involved in gold and copper mining. In 1902, he put an ad in the newspaper. He offered shares in his new mining company for 25 cents each.
Dr. Yoakum later said that he first spoke in tongues while traveling in Mexico. This was where his mining businesses were located. He reported: "I was in the heart of Mexico in a church. I was speaking through an interpreter to the Mexicans and Indians. Suddenly, a strong wind came over me. When I opened my mouth, it was not English. It was a beautiful, smooth Castilian language. For 20 or 30 minutes, I spoke to that large audience."
What Happened to the Property Later
Fifteen days before he passed away in August 1920, Dr. Yoakum gave his two sons all his land. He also wrote a will. It left his property in a trust for the Pisgah Home movement.
The Pisgah Home movement later sued Dr. Yoakum's sons. They said the land was given to the sons to hold for the movement. The lawsuit was settled. The properties were split between the family and the movement. The first Pisgah Home in Highland Park kept operating as a mission.
In 1936, Arglee F. Green, known as Mother Green, took over the home. She was from Christ Faith Mission. Mother Green used it as a safe place for women and children who did not have homes. From 1950 to 1993, Rev. Harold James Smith ran Pisgah Home. He published the "Herald of Hope" newspaper from there. It was said to have 60,000 copies. His "Prayer Tower" radio shows also came from the Pisgah Home property. Since 1993, Richard A. Kim has been in charge of the property. It is now called Christ Faith Mission/Old Pisgah Home.
Becoming a Historic Place
In 1994, the City of Los Angeles created a special historic preservation zone around Pisgah Home. This helps protect its history. In 2000, the Pisgah Home received a grant from the Getty Trust to help preserve it. In December 2007, the Pisgah Home Historic District was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical site.
Images for kids
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Finis Yoakum in a wheelchair with a person he helped heal, November 1911
