{"nrhp_refnum":"05000212","name":"Second Church of Christ Scientist","other_names":["Second Samoan Congregational Church"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"655 Cedar Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Long Beach","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":33.748750432000065,"lon":-118.19390312799999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-04-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A monumental Neoclassical Revival church at 655 Cedar Avenue, at the corner of Seventh Street, in Long Beach, California. It was built in 1924-25 as the Second Church of Christ Scientist by the firm Shields, Fisher & Lake.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an outstanding, intact example of Neoclassical Revival (Beaux-Arts) architecture with high artistic values, qualifying under Criterion C at the local level. It reflects the popularity of 1920s period revival styles and the growth of religious organizations in early Long Beach. It is also cited as the prototype image of Beaux Arts Classicism in a Los Angeles architectural guide.","narrative":"Standing at the southwest corner of Seventh Street and Cedar Avenue in Long Beach, this large concrete and steel church was built in 1924 and opened in January 1925 for the Second Church of Christ Scientist. It cost $200,000 and seated 1,200. Four colossal Corinthian columns mark the east entrance, pedimented gables cross at the roof, and a shallow dome rises at the center. Inside, a coffered ceiling, Corinthian pilasters and colored glass windows survive. The Christian Science congregation sold it in 1978; later it served a cultural center and, since 1994, a Samoan congregation. It was listed for its architecture, as a well-preserved work of Neoclassical Revival design drawing on Roman and Greek precedents. The design is credited to Shields, Fisher & Lake, a firm also linked to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and The Willmore. The only exterior alteration is a steel access ramp at the rear.","period_of_significance":"1924","architect_builder":"Shields, Fisher & Lake","architectural_style":"Neoclassical Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Used as a church by the Second Samoan Congregational Church; described as in good condition with its original integrity, with only a rear wheelchair ramp and some fluorescent lighting added.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.748936-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/05000212.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000212/07d5a30abd-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000212/07d5a30abd-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Epolk","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Second_church_long_beach.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Epolk</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Second_church_long_beach.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859504","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Church_of_Christ,_Scientist_(Long_Beach,_California)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7443196"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/second-church-of-christ-scientist-05000212/"}