First Church of Christ, Scientist, a century-old house of worship at 17th and Franklin streets, has been sold and is about to undergo an unusual reuse.

According to a church spokesperson, the building will soon be home to Jeremy's, a locally based women's clothier. Jeremy's has stores in San Francisco and Berkeley.

Long known for its organ concerts and excellent acoustics, First Church held its final Christmas Concert in December, in preparation for the property transfer.

An estate sale of congregation items begins Thursday and continues through the weekend at the church, 1701 Franklin St. The public is invited, says Ruth Gasser, a member of the congregation. More information is available at www.christianscienceoakland.org.

A look at the history files related to this church reveals old photos taken when the church's surroundings looked quite different. The files say it first opened its doors on Jan. 5, 1902, making the congregation 114 years old. During that era, a row of Victorian-style houses stood across the street and a Southern Pacific commuter train ran past the front entrance. It would be 20 more years before 17th Street would be extended east toward the lake and the neighborhood began its transition from residential to a commercial district.

Within a short time the houses were gone, and office buildings, hotels and the telephone company headquarters took their place, reflecting downtown Oakland's post-1906 building boom.


The congregation's members were followers of Bostonian Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910). Among these West Coast followers was a homeopathic doctor named Francis Fluno (born 1845) and his wife, Ella; they began holding meetings in their home on Grove Street in the mid-1890s. Mary Baker Eddy herself was said to have sent the couple to California to establish a branch of the mother church, the first west of the Rockies.

The so called Romanesque Revival style for ecclesiastical structures at the turn of the last century was popular nationwide, although not particularly common here, say the files. Thick, rusticated stone reminiscent of early medieval European fortresses is a distinguishing feature of this style. The First Church is considered to be an outstanding example, and it appears individually eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

As for its local status, it is on the Landmarks Study List but does not have official city of Oakland landmark status. Under state of California environmental rules, however, its exterior has historic preservation protection.

Henry A. Schulze, a one-time partner of Arthur Page Brown (who designed the San Francisco Ferry Building), was the architect. He was also from Boston and was the son of a prominent architect there. Schulze, as well as the contractor and builder, were all members of the congregation.

The beautiful stained glass windows were created by a firm in Chicago. The center of the Rose Window facing 17th Street is based on the painting by 19th-century artist William Strutt, depicting "The Peaceable Kingdom" -- a child standing with a sheep, a lion and other animals.

Jerri Holan consulted on the seismic upgrades made by the church a decade ago. She told me that her specialty as a preservation architect enabled her to design a handicap ramp along the side of the building to avoid altering the gorgeous double-door main entrance on Franklin Street. She said she hopes to advise the new owners on how to use the interior space while preserving all the wonderful historical features, such as the grand pipe organ.

The First Church of Christ, Scientist is one of the historic churches featured on the free walking tours sponsored by the Oakland Tours Program. Go to www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours to learn more.