| Hollywood United Methodist Church | |
|---|---|
| First United Methodist Church of Hollywood | |
 | |
 Hollywood United Methodist Church | |
| 34°06′16″N118°20′20″W / 34.10444°N 118.33889°W /34.10444; -118.33889 | |
| Location | 6817 Franklin Ave.,Los Angeles, California 90028 |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | United Methodist Church |
| Website | hollywoodumc.org |
| History | |
| Founded | March 16, 1930 |
| Administration | |
| Division | California Pacific Conference |
| Subdivision | Los Angeles District |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor | Rev. Hannah Adair Bonner |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | John West |
| Music group | Chancel Choir |
| Hollywood United Methodist Church | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Hollywood United Methodist Church | |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Thomas P. Barber |
| Architectural style | English Gothic Revival |
| Official name | First United Methodist Church of Hollywood |
| Designated | December 4, 1981 |
| Reference no. | 248 |
Hollywood United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church located at the intersection ofFranklin Avenue andHighland Avenue in theHollywood Heights neighborhood ofLos Angeles, California.[1] Its English Gothic architecture and the giantHIV/AIDSRed Ribbon on the belltower have made it a prominent landmark in Hollywood. The church's facilities, in addition to housing an active congregation, are used by the private nonreligiousOaks School and have been the settings for many movies includingSister Act andBack to the Future.[2]
In 1909, a little group from a Los Angeles Methodist congregation began organizing a new church by renting a space above the Owl Drugstore on a street known as Prospect Street. In 1910, this street was renamed Hollywood Blvd. The original building still stands today on the southeast corner of Wilcox and Hollywood Blvd.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Hollywood was built in 1911 on the northeast corner of Hollywood Blvd and Ivar.[3][4] It was designed by H. W. Wood and built in theMission Revival style for a cost $35,000,[5] but due to its limited seating capacity of 800 it was demolished in the early 1920s and replaced by the Guaranty Building in 1923 which still stands today.[4]
The congregation bought a new plot of land at the corner of Franklin Ave and Highland Ave, and construction began on the Recreational Hall and Gymnasium in the early 1920's. Then the Education and Administrative wing was built, and in 1927 construction began on the iconic gothic styled sanctuary, designed byThomas P. Barber.[6][7] The $800,000 structure was opened on March 16, 1930 and dedicated later that year.[8]
The building was adopted asLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #248 in 1981.[9]
The church erected a large red ribbon on its bell tower in 1993 in honor ofWorld AIDS day.[10] The ribbons were replaced with more permanent versions in 1996, and were repainted in 2004.[2] Since then, the church has been at the forefront of fighting for gay rights within the United Methodist Church, and has attracted a largelyLGBT congregation.[10]
The church building was designed byThomas P. Barber, and based in part on the English Gothic style ofWestminster Hall in London.[11] The structure is steel-framed concrete, which makes it relatively earthquake resistant, and was realized with the contribution of the Italian structural engineerFrancesco (Ciccio) Sabato Ceraldi. The church is also an example ofAmerican Gothic architecture with its sanctuary roof having an open hammer beam construction.[12]
Due to its convenient location near several Hollywood movie studios and its mixture of Gothic and modern architecture, the church has been used frequently as a filming location for Hollywood movies.[13] The "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance scenes inBack to the Future andBack to the Future Part II were filmed in the church's gymnasium,[13] as was the talent show scene inThat Thing You Do!.[14] Interior scenes for the movieSister Act were filmed in the hallways, classrooms, and offices of the church, although the film crew repainted the interior to make it appear much older.[15] Scenes fromThe War of the Worlds,[15]Anger Management,Big Momma's House,Jarhead, and several other movies were filmed on the premises.[2]
The Oaks School is an independent private K-6 school founded in 1985 which rents space from the church. The school is non-religious and not affiliated with the church, although the school and church communities do work together frequently and share some staff.[16]
