Collection of Materials Relating to The Neighborhood Church, 1938-2003

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Summary

Abstract:
Collection documents the early development of the Neighborhood Church and its fellowship hall.
Extent:
6 Folders
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Name of item], Collection of Materials Relating to The Neighborhood Church (Collection 055). Local History Center, Peninsula Center Library, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

Includes church histories, early organizational records, newsletters, fellowship hall construction file and worship programs.

Biographical / historical:

The Neighborhood Church had its beginnings in 1924 when residents seeking religious instruction for their children organized bible study classes which were held in residents' homes. A formal sunday school was organized two years later under the sponsorship of the Palos Verdes Women's Club.

Planning for adult services started in 1935. The first adult church services were held in 1937 in the auditorium of Malaga Cove School with 40 members. The sunday school which formed in 1926 was incorporated into the new church.

The Neighborhood Church adopted a constitution in 1939 and officially filed incorporation papers with the State of California as the Neighborhood Church in Palos Verdes the same year. The congregation became affiliated with the United Church of Christ in 1961.

The Church continued to hold services at Malaga Cove School until it acquired its current site, the former "Haggerty Mansion". The first service held there was in 1952.

Designed by architect Armand Monaco, the 32-room Haggerty Mansion was built for John Joseph Haggerty, a wealthy department store merchant, as a summer residence. The residence was completed in 1929. When Haggerty's business dealings fell on hard times, the property passed through a series of owners including a bank, a British syndicate, and a mid-west inventor and financier, Harry Wheeler, who used the site as a personal museum.

In 1950, the Wheeler Estate put the property on the market for the asking price of $125,000 (reduced from $250,000) but had no buyers. The Neighborhood Church bid of $60,000 was accepted and the Church started the process of making the residence suitable for worship purposes including getting zoning variances from the Palos Verdes Homes Association and desigining a pulpit and chancel, etc. A fellowship hall and kitchen were added in 1993 from former garage space and servants' quarters.

Acquisition information:
Assembled from various donations and materials collected by the Local History Center.
Processing information:

Initial rehousing and stabilization of materials by Local History Center volunteers. Final arrangement and description by Michele Fricke and Monique Sugimoto, September, 2023.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by folder title; thereunder chronologically.

Physical location:
Local History Center

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the Local History Center for access information.

Terms of access:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred citation:

[Name of item], Collection of Materials Relating to The Neighborhood Church (Collection 055). Local History Center, Peninsula Center Library, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA.

Location of this collection:
701 Silver Spur Road
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274, US
Contact:
(310) 377-9584
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