Hollywood United Methodist Church

Hollywood United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[1] Its English Gothic architecture and the giant HIV/AIDS Red Ribbon on the bell-tower have made it a prominent landmark in Hollywood. The church's facilities, in addition to housing an active congregation, are used by the private non-religious Oaks School and have been the settings for many movies including Sister Act and Back to the Future.[2]

Hollywood United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church of Hollywood
34°06′16″N 118°20′20″W
Location6817 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, California 90028
CountryUnited States
DenominationUnited Methodist Church
Websitehollywoodumc.org
History
FoundedMarch 16, 1930
Administration
DivisionCalifornia Pacific Conference
SubdivisionLos Angeles District
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma
Pastor(s)Rev. Denyse Barnes
Laity
Director of musicJohn West
Music group(s)Chancel Choir
Hollywood United Methodist Church
Built1927
ArchitectThomas P. Barber
Architectural style(s)English Gothic Revival
Official nameFirst United Methodist Church of Hollywood
DesignatedDecember 4, 1981
Reference no.248

History

Construction on the first building, the Recreational Hall, was started in 1927 by a group of congregants who began organizing the new church in 1909. The rest of the structure was completed on March 16, 1930.[3]

Architecture

The church building was designed by Thomas P. Barber, and based in part on the English Gothic style of Westminster Hall in London. The structure is steel-framed concrete, which makes it relatively earthquake resistant, and was realized with the contribution of the Italian structural engineer Francesco (Ciccio) Sabato Ceraldi. The church is also an example of American Gothic architecture with its sanctuary roof having an open hammer beam construction.[4]

Use as a movie filming location

Due to its convenient location in the heart of Hollywood and its mixture of Gothic and modern architecture, the church has been used frequently as a filming location for Hollywood movies. The "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance scenes in Back to the Future and Back to the Future Part II were filmed in the church's gymnasium, as was the talent show scene in That Thing You Do!. Interior scenes for the movie Sister 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. Scenes from Anger Management, Big Momma's House, Jarhead, People Like Us, One Foot in Heaven, and several other movies were filmed on the premises.

The Oaks School

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.[5]

See also

Notes
  1. Mapping L.A.
  2. http://www.hollywoodumc.org/FAQ-Hollywood-United-Methodist-Church.aspx
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-10-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. http://www.laokay.com/Gothic.htm
  5. http://www.oaksschool.org/about-oaks/our-campus
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