First Unitarian Church of Oakland (Oakland, California)

 church, Romanesque (architecture), NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, 1891_construction, Unitarian Universalism (UUism)

685 14th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 893-6129, (510) 893-7056
www.uuoakland.org/

The First Unitarian Church of Oakland dates from 1869, when Laurentine Hamilton, a Presbyterian minister, was convicted of heresy for espousing liberal religious views. He and a good share of his congregation later formed The Hamilton Free Church, which flourished until his death in 1882. (Mt. Hamilton, near San Jose, was named for Laurentine Hamilton).

In 1886, Charles A. Wendte reorganized the church as The First Unitarian Church of Oakland. Wendte later invited Eliza Tupper Wilkes, the first woman to serve a church in the East Bay, to join him in ministry to the congregation.

The building opened in 1891. With the exception of the stained glass windows, only materials from California were used in the construction, most notably, the dramatic redwood trusses supporting the roof. It was designated a city, state and national landmark in the 1970s.

The church is listed on the California Historical Landmark list as # 896 and the National Register of Historic Places # 77000284

www.uuoakland.org/about/#church_history