Adams Memorial Church of God

Did you know a church once stood where the Wilshire apartments now rise? This is the story of Adams Memorial Church of God. The Adams Memorial Church of God had a fascinating, if ultimately tragic, history. It began as an outreach of the fashionable Madison Square Presbyterian Church. In 1856, their pastor, Rev. Dr. William Adams, saw the poverty near the East River. He established the East Side Sunday School. The school eventually grew into the Memorial Chapel. The cornerstone was laid in 1874 on 30th Street. The chapel was dedicated in 1876, designed by J. Cleaveland Cady. The design was Sicilian Romanesque Revival, featuring red brick, two bell towers, and a rose window. In 1886, the chapel became the independent Adams Memorial Church. It was named to honor Rev. Adams, who had passed away in 1880. The new pastor, Rev. Jesse F. Forbes, ministered to a diverse and struggling congregation of 276 members. Rev. Forbes created innovative programs like the Home Department. This allowed mothers and others unable to attend Sunday School to study at home. The church also had a lively Young People’s Society. They put on entertaining performances, like a “broom drill” in 1888 where young ladies performed military drills with brooms. The Adams Memorial Church of God also opened its doors to others. Around 1898, Armenian refugees began worshipping there. They eventually formed their own Armenian Evangelical Church in 1900, sharing the building with the Adams Memorial congregation. The church faced challenges. Its location in a low-income neighborhood led to frequent broken windows from stick-ball games. During the Great Depression, the congregation banded together to perform their own repairs, saving the church $2,400. Sadly, the Adams Memorial Church of God was sold in 1949. The building became CBS’s 30th Street Studios. Famous musicians like Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, and Barbra Streisand recorded there. Despite preservation efforts, the building was demolished in 1985 to make way for the Wilshire apartments. The Adams Memorial Church of God may be gone. But its story of service, community, and resilience resonates.