The Street Seen: First Christian Church (Rose Ave)
254 Hampton Drive @ Rose Ave
The First Christian Church of Ocean Park is built in 1906 on the northeast corner of Rose Avenue and Hampton Drive in Venice. From 1906 to 1969, it is a Protestant church. In 1972, it is converted to residential, before returning to spiritual uses in 2003. The building is currently vacant, pending city approval of a conversion to a new use.
The First Christian Church1 of Ocean Park,2 is located on the northeast corner of Rose Avenue3 and Hampton Drive4 in Venice.5 The legal address is 254 Hampton Drive, although the property is often referred to as 305 Rose Ave.
First Christian Church of Ocean Park (1906 to 1956)
In April 1906, the Christian Church6 buys the vacant corner lot7 for $3,800. In June 1906, ground is broken for the church, and in August 1906, the church is dedicated. The church (lot and building) is completed debt-free for a total cost of $4,500.
The Gothic Revival style building is a 1-story wood frame over a partially subterranean basement. In 1913, a bungalow parsonage8 and Sunday school rooms are built in the rear.9
In 1915, the course of the Venice Grand Prix10 rounds the corner at Rose Ave and heads south on Hampton Dr. The First Christian Church and Rev. Havener11 try to have the Venice Trustees cancel the following Sunday’s motorcycle race, but only succeed in getting the start time shifted (from 11am) to 12:30pm.
West Venice Baptist Church (1957 to 1960)
In 1957, West Venice Baptist Church owns the property,12 and Duane E. Norman serves as pastor.
Marina Baptist Church (1960 to 1969)
In 1960, Duane E. Norman retires for health reasons, and the West Venice Baptist Church and Marina Baptist Church of Culver City unite as the Marina Baptist Church. Lester Hearn,13 pastor of the Culver City church, serves as pastor of the consolidated churches. Succeeding Hearn, David R. Doan (1927 - 1985) serves as pastor of the Marina Baptist Church from 1963 to 1969.14
St. Jive’s by the Sea (1972 to 1976)
In 1972, needlepoint designer Barbara Batcheller buys the property from the Marina Baptist Church.
Batcheller converts the church into a residence, and the Sunday school into artist studios.15
The pews are removed, but the yellow, brown, and green stained-glass windows16 remain.
A jazz aficionado, Batcheller names her residence St. Jive’s by the Sea.
St. Jive’s by the Sea (1976 to 2003)
In 1976, artist Annette Bird (1925 - 2016) buys the property from Batcheller.
Hare Krishna Rose Temple (2003 to 2008)
In 2003, Bird sells the property to the International Gaudiya Vedanta Society,17 and the building returns to religious use.
ACNE (2008)
In 2008, the building is home to the new U.S. outpost of ACNE, the Swedish creative collective with a challenging name.
Hare Krishna Rose Temple (2009 to 2011)
In 2009, a return to religious use - the Rose Temple home of Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mahaprabhu.
In 2011, Saber Realty Partners acquires the liens secured by the property, followed by an acquisition of the property for $1.27 MM, and a complete cosmetic renovation of the facility.
Full Circle Venice (2014 to 2017)
Since April 2014, the property is the headquarters of actor Andrew Keegan’s Full Circle Venice (FCV)18 - a community-based arts and spirituality center. Full Circle is leasing the property from Saber on a month-to-month basis, paying $12,500 a month.
In August 2014, Saber sells the property to waste management/real estate investor BLT for $4.50 MM. BLT raises Full Circle’s rent.
In 2016, BLT lists the building for sale at $6.50 MM, and Full Circle attempts to crowdfund the purchase. By the end of 2016, they have raised $0.11 MM.19 Full Circle moves on in 2017.
305 Rose Ave, LLC (2021)
In 2017, BLT reduces the asking price to $5.20 MM, and then to $3.50 MM in 2021. The property is sold to the current owner for $3.15 MM.
The current owner seeks to convert the historic church into a co-working space and private neighborhood social club. 20
The First Christian Church, also known as the Disciples of Christ, has some similarities to Baptist churches. The Christian Church and Baptist churches share roots in believers’ baptism by immersion; however, they disagree on whether belief in fundamental doctrines is necessary for salvation and fellowship. Following World War II, the Christian Church organizations developed in previous decades no longer effectively met the needs of the postwar era. In 1960, the International Convention of Christian Churches adopted a process to “restructure” the entire organization.
The First Christian Church of Santa Monica is founded in 1899. Their 1924 church at 6th & Arizona is severely damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake and is demolished.
Rose Ave, named for early pioneer Anderson Rose (1836 - 1902), is established with the Ocean Tract of 1887.
From 1887 to 1917, Hampton Drive is named Lake St. In 1917, Lake St is renamed Washington Blvd. In 1966, with a plethora of Venice streets named Washington, Washington Blvd between Brooks Ave and the Santa Monica city limits becomes Hampton Drive, honoring a pioneer Venice family. We always use the current address, 254 Hampton Drive, to reference this property.
In 1906, the church is in the City of Ocean Park, which is adjacent to and south of the City of Santa Monica. In 1911, the name of the city is changed to the City of Venice. In 1925, Venice is annexed to the City of Los Angeles. Early Venice building department records are lost when Venice is annexed by Los Angeles in 1925.
The founders of the First Christian Church of Ocean Park are Homer L. Brice (1884 - 1967), Ennis R. Utter, Iva L. Maschal (1876 - 1946), C.J. Wilson, and W.E. Devore (1856 - 1921).
The 52.5-ft by 125-ft First Christian Church property is Lot 38 of the Rosemont Terrace Tract of 1906. It is the first lot sold in the new Rosemont Terrace Tract.
Pastors of the First Christian Church of Ocean Park
1906 George Wharton Ringo (1872 – 1938)
1908 C.C. Bentley
1912 Thomas G. Picton
1913 John Roy Havener (1883 - 1969)
1916 Charles Sylvester Vail (1878 - 1964)
1916 Robert Johnston
1920 Charles Lemmex
1923 W.R. Nicholas
1925 John Richmond Blunt (1868 -1954)
1931 R.H. Newton
1933 Roy O. Youtz
1937 Albert F. Bunny
1944 H. Harris Wood
1948 Edward McGuire
1954 Richard Flood
The original Christian Church parsonage and Sunday school is built 1913.
Some time between 1925 and 1933, the bungalow parsonage is replaced by the 1-story building we see today. The ministers move to 3120 6th St.
In 1915, the Venice Grand Prix, a one-time automobile race, is held on St Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17, 1915. The 300-mile race with 97 laps over 4 hours on surface streets, including Rose Ave, Hampton Dr, Venice Blvd, and Lincoln Blvd, draws 60,000 spectators. The course turns, including Rose and Hampton, are made of wooden boards banked at a fairly high angle. On Sunday, March 28, 1915, there is a 300-mile motorcycle race over the same course.
In 1913, there is much commotion when the newly arrived Christian Church pastor, J.R. Havener, disappears leaving a suicide note. The recently married Havener is despondent that his $75-per-month salary may not be sufficient to keep his wife in the circumstances to which she is accustomed. After wandering for four days in the nearby canyons, Havener returns to his ministry.
The last reference to the First Christian Church of Ocean Park is in March 1956. We are unable to find any discussion of its closing.
Lester Hearn is the pastor of the 1st Baptist Church of Santa Monica at 2nd and Hill St from 1942 to 1950.
The last reference to the Marina Baptist Church is in August 1969. We are unable to find any discussion of its closing, although Rev. Doan’s sermons, “The Options Before Us” of June, “Crisis Time” of July, and “A Frustrating Experience” of August 1969, may reflect problems.
In 1972, at 2nd and Hill in Santa Monica, artist Helen Sheats converts the Ocean Park M-E Church to a residence.
Stained glass is popular in churches at that time (1870 - 1930). One of the stained-glass windows is dedicated to Bernsie Devore (1891 - 1928), daughter of one of the Venice church founders. Another window recognizes the Riverside CE (Christian Endeavor).
The International Gaudiya Vedanta Society is a spiritual organization dedicated to the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the promotion of bhakti yoga. With a focus on love and devotion, the society offers resources, discourses, and events to help individuals deepen their spiritual practice and connection to the divine.
In 2014, Keegan co-founds Full Circle Venice (FCV) with Gunnar Goddard, whose father, Robert Goddard, establishes the original tenets of Full Circle in the 1960s.
Keegan attributes Full Circle’s financial difficulties in part to negative press. In 2014, Vice Media depicts Full Circle as a type of religious cult.
In 2015, agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control charge Full Circle members for selling the fermented beverage kombucha, via the brand Kombucha Dog. The group receives a misdemeanor for selling alcohol without a permit.
The City of Los Angeles property is zoned RD 1.5 - Restricted Density Multiple Dwelling.