Second Congregational Church - Oakland

1900 ²

The Second Congregational Church was organized May 31, 1868. It was later sometimes known as the Chase Street Church.

A small church building on the southeast corner of Wood and Goss Streets was dedicated August 31, 1868. The 1869 directory lists Rev. Eli Corwin as pastor, and the following as trustees of the Religious Society: James A. Folger - moderator; P.W. Fonda - treasurer; O.P. Truesdell; H.G. McLean; Charles C. Fisher - secretary.

Chase Street

About 1875, they constructed a new church building on Chase Street. Unfortunately they accumulated a large debt in doing so. In 1876, Rev. C.H. Pope resigned as pastor, with finances being a factor. ¹ The 1877 directory mentions the new building, and notes that pastorate was vacant. Donations from the First Congregational Church and John W. Pearson helped pay off most of the debt in 1877. ⁵

Peralta Street

In 1900, they moved the building to 10th and Peralta where St. Patrick Catholic Church is now. Repairs and alterations were made to the building; the Sanborn maps suggest the new spire was 40' shorter than the old spire.

1900 ²1902 Sanborn excerpt

The End

Rev. Leslie B. Briggs resigned in 1909 to work in San Francisco. The church made no immediate action to call a new pastor, and it was reported that the trustees were considering selling the propety. ³

In 1911, Rev. J.B. McNally announced that St. Patrick Church had purchased the property. They intended to tear down both their existing church and the Second Congregational building, and build a "handsome new structure." ⁴

Pastors

Over the 41 years of the church, there were many pastors. The below list does not include guest pastors or temporary ones (unless they went on to become full-time.) The reasons given were varied, but the result was that few pastors served more than a year or two. A string of turnovers in the early 1890s and the resulting newspaper coverage prompted one parishioner to write to the Tribune and explain that things had been "settled in perfect harmony." ⁶

Years	Pastor	Notes
1868-1870	Rev. Eli Corwin
1870-1873	Rev. David B. Gray	1872 directory
1874	Rev. J.T. Wills	1874 directory
1875-1876	Rev. C.H. Pope	1875 directory
1877	-vacant-
-1878	Rev. W.L. Jones	ref
1878- c.1880	Rev. J.T. Wills	1880-1881 directory
1882-1886	Rev. Walter Frear	1884-1885 directory
1886-1888	Rev. Walter Hamlin	ref
1888-1890	Rev. G.W. Bothwell	1889-1890 directory; ref
1890-1891	Rev. J.H.J. Rice	ref
1891-1893	Rev. Joseph Bacon	1892-1893 directory; ref
1893; 1894	Rev. George W. Henning	ref; ref
1894-1896	Rev. Frank E. Hinckley	ref
1897-1903	Rev. J.W. Phillips	1898 directory
1904-	Rev. W.J. Speers	1904 directory
1906-	Rev. H.F. Burgess	1906 directory
1908	-none listed-	1908 directory
1908 -1909	Rev. Leslie B. Briggs