2005.52.101N

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. Our building, located at 14th and Castro between downtown Oakland and the Gateway neighborhood, 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. Throughout its history, First Unitarian Church of Oakland has been a place of great spiritual and historical significance. We welcomed Swami Vivekanada to our pulpit in 1900; the building is a shrine to the Vedanta Society. Isadora Duncan danced her professional debut in Wendte Hall. William Howard Taft addressed our congregation in 1912. In 1945, the church hosted some of the organizing meetings for the United Nations. --Taken from the First Unitarian website.