St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Juneau, Alaska

Sent to me by Gwyn in Juneau, Ak.

In 1894 a varied yet single-minded group of people joined together to build a church. Native Alaskans, Serbian miners, towns people, Orthodox and Non-orthodox took up the call for the building of a Russian Orthodox Church in the young but energetic town of Juneau, Alaska. The result was St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church.

St. Marks Lutheran Church--San Francisco

Sent to me by Paul and Yuna who are members.

Founded in 1849, Saint Marks's is the oldest Lutheran parish west of the Mississippi. The original church was at Stockton and O'Farrell Streets, where Macy's west coast flagship store now sits. In 1894, the parish occupied this building which it had built, having outgrown the original site - and the population of the city having moved west. In the 1906 earthquake and fire, the church was nearly destroyed by fire crews dynamiting buildings trying to stop the fire. Most of the water mains in the city had broken in the quake. The pastor begged the fire crews to try an adjacent water main. It worked and the church was spared. The basement of the church became a hospital and soup kitchen for earthquake victims. The church took a serious hit in the 1989 earthquake. In 2006, an $11,000,000 restoration and earthquake retrofitting was completed. In contrast to the rather stern exterior, the interior is very warm and comforting. The acoustics are superb. In the restoration, the church was fitted with a superb Baroque-style tracker organ.

I added two more pics. One of Paul and Yuna and one of the interior.

Temple de Hirsch

In 1899 a Reform congregation was organised and designated Temple de Hirsch. they met in a small hall but were determined to build a large temple. In March 1907 the cornerstone was laid for the large brick temple and the following year it was dedicated. It was used by the Reform congregation until they moved into their new synagogue in 1960. The old sanctuary is now being used by a group of the Orthodox Bikur Cholim congregation.
The small picture is of the synagogue in the 1920s and the 2nd of the new sanctuary

Zion United Church of Christ, Ritzville, Washington

Immigrants from Germany organized the German Evangelical Zion church in 1888. Later the small mission church joined the German congregational conference. The present building was completed in 1901 at a cost of 6,000 dollars. The german language was used for over 50 years until a complete transition was made to English.
The shingled cylindrical turrets at each corner and at the front of the main roof are the most distinctive feature of this church. Also unusual are the spherical metal finials on top of the turrets and steeple.
Ritzville was first dettled in 1878 and the railroad arrived in 1880. Ritzville was and is a wheat-shipping center.

Camano Lutheran Church--1904

The church was founded in 1890 and the first meetings were in the schoolhouse. The present site was donated in 1900 and the church finished in 1904.
The pulpit, baptismal font and beautiful altar were carved and inlaid by some of the early members using old country skills. There is a finely detailed painted wood screen at ceiling height separating the chancel from the rest of the church.
Inscribed on the altar is the biblical phrase in Norweigian "Kommer hid til mig, Alle" (Come unto me, all).

St Paul's Catholic Church

Built in 1868 on the Swinomish Indian reservation at LaConner, Washington. Skagit county.
The first Catholic services attended by the Swinomish Tribes were in 1840 on Whidbey Island.
The first church was a structure of poles with a roof of mats. Outside hung a bell which rang the day the Point Elliot Treaty (between the US and several NW Washington Tribes) was signed in 1855. The bell hangs in the present church.

Little church

This sweet little church is in the community of Van Zandt. Today it is The Church of the Nazarene. I believe it started out as a Methodist Church.