Fifth Church of Christ Scientist

In 1909, a congregation formed in Hollywood, brimming with faith and ambition. They called themselves the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Hollywood. Their story intertwined with that of the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, the building we stand before today. After Hollywood merged with Los Angeles in 1910, a name change was in order. They became the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, Los Angeles. This reflected the Christian Science practice of using ordinal numbers to mark the order of a church’s establishment within a city. The Fifth Church stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Christian Science in Los Angeles. The current building, erected between 1959 and 1960, replaced an earlier 1916 Beaux Arts structure on this very spot. The congregation, having outgrown their original 1,000-seat building, needed a space that reflected their growing presence. This new building was a testament to the post-war growth of both the congregation and the surrounding Hollywood community. Designed by local architect Howard Elwell, the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist is a prime example of postwar ecclesiastical architecture. The building’s distinctive fan shape is immediately striking. The curved facade faces the corner of Hollywood and La Brea. Grand entrances, accessed through arched portals, grace both streets. Elwell’s design seamlessly blends reinforced brick and reinforced concrete tilt-up panels. Inside, the amphitheater-style auditorium, with its fan-shaped accordion ceiling and canted rear walls, was meticulously crafted for optimal acoustics. Below, the lower level once housed the Reading Room, a quiet space for study and reflection. Even the landscaping, with its curved retaining walls and raised planting beds, was designed to complement the building’s unique geometry and the sloping site. The prominence of Fifth Church within the Hollywood community is undeniable. Even Hollywood actress Ginger Rogers was known to attend services here. While many other Christian Science congregations in Los Angeles continued to worship in their original buildings, Fifth Church embraced modernity. They chose to build a new, contemporary structure that reflected the changing times. This made Fifth Church a unique presence in the city’s religious landscape. For years, the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist served its community faithfully. Then in 2008 the congregation sold the property. The building found new life as Mosaic, a nondenominational megachurch, which occupied the space from 2011. The future of this architectural gem was uncertain for a time. A mixed-use development project threatened its very existence. Thankfully, the site was designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument. This designation halted the demolition plans, preserving the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist for future generations to admire.