St. James Lutheran Church (Portland, Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. James Lutheran Church
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The main building in 2017, with the original (1891) building in the righthand background
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 Location in Portland, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1315 SW Park Avenue Portland, Oregon |
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| Built | 1891 (chapel) 1908 (main building) 1958 (education annex) |
| Architect | P. Chappel-Browne |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001598 |
| Added to NRHP | May 21, 1975 |
The St. James Lutheran Church is a historic church building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It is a place where people gather for worship and community events. This church has a long history and is considered a special landmark.
History of St. James Church
The church community started in 1889. It was founded by missionaries and was Portland's first English-speaking Lutheran church. The first pastor was Rev. M. L. Zweizig.
The main church building you see today had its first stone laid in May 1907. Many of the original items are still used inside. These include a beautiful marble font for baptisms and wooden pews made of oak.
The church grew a lot in the first half of the 1900s. In 1956, they added a new section called an "educational annex." This part of the building has rooms for classes and offices.
In 1951, the church had to remove the tall tower from the main building. It was getting old and weak. But don't worry, the tower was rebuilt in 1974! They used old photos to make sure it looked just like the original design.
Because of its important history, the St. James building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This list includes buildings that are important to the history of the United States.
Church Programs and Music
St. James Lutheran Church is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It has special programs and uses traditional worship services.
The church is also known for its yearly concert series. These concerts feature church songs called "cantatas" by a famous composer named Johann Sebastian Bach. These songs are performed during a worship service, just like they were meant to be heard long ago.
See also
