Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-23
SOON To Be IN ITS
/. PERMANENTH0ME
TEMPLE BAPTIST TO OCCUPY
AUDITORIUM
Next Sunday Rev. Robert J. 6urdette's
Congregation viii Hold Services
for First Time In Remark
able Structure

After three weary years of moving
from one place to another, the Temple
Baptist church, of which Rev. DR..
Robert J. Burdette Is pastor, will hnal-
ly enter its new home in the Auditor
ium building next Sunday morning. In
spite of four changes the church has
been obliged to make during this time,
the original membership Of 1870 has
steadily increased, and the congrega-
ton. enters the new building 665 strong.
On July 26, 1908. part Of the First
church, dissatisfied with the radical
actions of Joseph Smale, pastor at
that time, withdrew from the mother
church. A meeting was held at the
home of Deacon Green, where an or
ganization was effected and a call ten
dered Robert j. Burdette, who was then
preaching In Pasadena. The old Con-
grega tional church at Sixth and Hill
streets was leased for Sunday services,
but the place was in a tumble-down
condition, the seating capacity was
very limited, and the acoustics were
wretched. and so after stay of sew
eral months, a committee was ap-
pointed to plan for the erection of a
new building.
1t was decided that the church re-
main down town and in the spring of
1904 an option was secured on old Haz-
ards pavilion. When the church found
that a building at all large enough to
accommodate its ever-increasing num-
bers would cost in the neighborhood of
$500, 900, 1t seemed as If the proposition
must fall through.
But at this time G. r. Harris,
member of the church, came forward
with a scheme for organizing COM
pany to build a large auditorium and
office building on the site of the pavil-
ion. In return for valuable privileges
and the rental of the main auditorium
the church surrendered it's option to
the new company, and on June 1, 1905,
1t moved again, this time to Masonic
hall. Here, crowded quarters COM
PEELED an early abandonment, 300 peo-
pie often being turned away on Sum
day morning for lack of space. So
marched on, this time to Armory hall,
where they have been worshiping the
last six months.
Remarkable Structure
The building which the church en-
ters on Sunday, although the largest
of it's kind In the world has attracte
abroad and in the east than in this
state. Among other foreign countries
France, Germany and England have
sent engineers over to view the build
ing; and for the past six months scien-
tific magazines all over the world have
devoted large sections to the mechani-
cal and engineering features involved !;
but in this city it is going up almost
| without comment
The building Is of concrete bound to-
| gether with twisted rods, and when
completed 1t will be practically one
great piece of masonry, impervious
alike to fire and earthquake. It's offices,
equipped with hot and cold water, gas,
electricity and liquid air, will afford
room for as many doctors and dentists,
while it's great auditorium seating 5000
will serve as a meeting place for the
many large conventions which are CIV
irg to Los Angeles the name of the
Convention City" A banquet hall,
and two smaller assembly halls, to-
gether with many smaller rooms and
kitchens, comprise the rest Of the build
Ing.
The three people TO whom Los Ange-
les is principally indebted for the mag
nificent auditorium so soon to be
thrown open are Rev. Robert J. Bur-
dette. the inspiration throughout; c..
r. Harris the engineer whose genius
conceived 1t: and Mrs. Robert j. Bur-
dette, "the best business man in Los
| Angeles" as her friends declare, whose
| aggressive business policy has pushed
1t forward.
His Ambition Realized
Mr.. Harris, in speaking of the build
ing. said:
Back in the old Congregational
church, when I saw the people strug-
Cling 10 get in to hear Mr.. Burdette,
and after they were in straining every
nerve to hear what was said, I de-
termined that some day he should have
a place to preach where the people
might have seats and hear what Is be-
ing said"
Those who have seen the auditorium
lately know how we'll he is fulfilling his
resolve. Although the main auditor
lum will not be completed until Oc-
tober the larger of the assembly halls
into which the church enters Sunday,
is sufficiently finished for occupancy.
Mr., Burdette said yesterday morning:
1--WE don't care If it isn't finished. It
Is our home and we would go in If we
had to sit under paint pots and mortar
boards"
No less pleased than her illustrious
husband is Mrs. Burdette, to whose
business tact and abilitv the undertake
ing owes so much of it's success. When
business cares became too heavy and
Mrs. Burdette was laid low at Sunny
Crest by nervous collapse her di-
rectorship In the Auditorium company
was one of the few positions her doc
tors could NOT compel her to resign
For five months the work Jagged. but
when she regained her feet her first
trips were to the city where she went
on with the work. Work was again
rushed, and 1t is due to her efforts that
the church will enter its new building
next Sunday morning.