Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-19
c. r. HARRIS ACTIVE
IN AUDITORIUM WORK
DONATED NEARLY THREE YEARS
TO GREAT STRUCTURE
Conceived and Made Possible 5eauti-
full Temple Baptist Building at
Fifth and ollve--Pays
Big Dividends

It has not been generally known that
c. r. Harris, an engineer and a man
who has been interested in various
large business enterprises in the east
who moved to this city from williams
port. Pa, about eight years ago, is the
man who conceived and made possible
the erection of the great Auditorium
building In this city, who was one of
the principal factors In the organizing
and making a success of the Temple
Baptist church, which has had such
wonderful growth during less than five
years of its organization.
The Auditorium building is the out
growth of a plan conceived by Mr..
Harris two weeks after the organiza-
tion of the Temple Baptist church,
July, 1903. At that time Mr.. Harris
was one of the many Baptists in the
city who had no church connections,
and after various conferences between
several of these persons In connection
with various local Baptists, who be-
lieved there was q demand for a great
downtown church to assist in bringing
under the influence of the gospel the
great floating population which
throngs the business streets on Sun
day, they met and appointed a com
mittee to interview Robert ]. Burdette
to ascertain whether he would accept
the call as pastor for such an organiza-
ton.
Burdette Takes Hold
The committee appointed consisted of
c. r. Harris, Leonard Merrill and G. III.
Barker. Mr.. Burdette was interviewed
and Immediately entered into the spirit
of the proposition. He deferred his an
swer for several days, but finally con-
scented to become the active head of
the new Organization. On receipt of
this good news the committee met in
Mr. Harris's office in the Douglas
building, and then and there was Or
ganized what has in less than five
years developed into the strongest
Baptist church on the Pacific coast.
The church was formally organized
in July, 1908, and Mr.. Harris was
elected chairman of the board of trus-
tees, which office he still holds. and
rented the First Congregational church
on the corner of Sixth and Hill streets.
From the first the building was in
adequate to hold the congregations,
and as a matter OF history the acous-
tics of that building were the poorest
in the city and in addition to this the
continuous roar of city and interurban
cars passing the doors made the place
almost uncomfortable as a place of wor-
ship.
During the second Sunday, under
these difficulties, the idea first came
into Mr.. Harris mind of providing a
larger and more desirable home for
the organization which he had taken
such an active part in creating. The
idea conceived during that service has
been carried out almost in detail in the
completion of the great Auditorium
building, which houses the immense
congre cations of the Temple Baptist
church every Sunday during the year,
and gives them their permanent work.
shop in other portions of the building.
Donates Two Years Services
Mr.. Harris kept his counsel after the
first conception of the plan, soon there
after went east, examined large num-
Der of auditoriums and returning
early in September of the same year,