The Street Seen: St. Clement Church
3007 2nd Street @ Marine
St. Clement Catholic Church is on the southeast corner of 2nd and Marine from 1904 until 1958 when it was demolished.
Patrick Hawe (1847 - 1923)1 established St. Clement Church2 on the SEC corner of Lake (now 2nd St) and Marine, on the Santa Monica southern border with Venice (City of Los Angeles), in 1904.
The corner-stone for the building was laid by Bishop Thomas J. Conaty before a crowd of 300. Michael Hennessy, who assisted at the dedication ceremony, was named the first pastor - a position he held for 23 years (1904 - 1927). He was followed by Patrick Pierse who held the position for 25 years (1927 – 1952).
In 1910, the adjacent Kinney Hall became St. Clement’s Academy, where the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary taught.
In 1921, a new 2-story school (at 201 3rd Ave in Venice) replaced the Kinney Hall facility. At that time, St. Clement’s Academy had 261 students (131 boys; 130 girls).
In 1927, a 2-story convent (at 211 3rd Ave in Venice) was built to the south of the new St. Clement’s Academy.
In 1951, a new 2-story rectory (at 3102 3rd St) was constructed on the SWC 3rd St & Marine. In 1956, a new church and hall (at 3114 3rd St) was constructed to the south of the rectory. In 1958, the 54 year old St. Clement Church (with its attached 2-story rectory at 238 Marine St) was demolished3.
In 2006, when the St Joseph Center (at 204 Hampton Dr in Venice) was constructed, the 2nd St parking lot (site of the 1904 church) was re-configured,4 and the 1921 school on 3rd Ave in Venice was demolished. The 1927 convent is now St. Robert's Center Venice.
Patrick Hawe (1847 - 1923) - founding pastor of St. Monica's Catholic Church from 1886 until his death in 1923. Born and educated in Ireland, Hawe came to California in 1872 and served at parishes in San Bernardino, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo. He then spent nine years at the Church of the Holy Cross in Santa Cruz, before returning to Southern California at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim. In 1886, he started St. Monica's parish, building the first church and school. He founded St. Clement's parish in Ocean Park in 1904, and in 1908 he founded St. Anne's parish, also in Santa Monica, both originally mission churches of St. Monica's parish. He also oversaw construction of the first church for St. Augustine's parish in Culver City, and he was for many years the chaplain at the National Old Soldier's Home in West Los Angeles.
St. Clement is named for the fourth bishop of Rome.
We don’t know why the impressive 1904 St Clement Church was demolished. Was it structural issues (damage from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake) ? Maintenance issues ? Accessibility issues ?
The modest 1956 building was intended as only a temporary replacement. However, the demographics of the congregation quickly changed, and the funds to rebuild the church could not be obtained.
The Santa Monica parcels (on 2nd St and 3rd St) are zoned Ocean Park Low-Density Residential (OP2) - the existing parking lot (on the former church site) is considered to be a Legal Nonconforming Use.