Felton Presbyterian Church
Also known as: Faye G. Belardi Memorial Library
Why it's listed
Built by volunteer carpenters between March and July 1893, this small frame church at 6299 Gushee Street in Felton was the town's first church building. Land was donated by Santa Cruz entrepreneur F.A. Hihn after local donations alone proved too little to proceed. It operated as the Presbyterian Community Church for sixty-three years. When the congregation built a larger church in the early 1950s, a local restaurateur bought the property intending to dismantle it, but townspeople campaigned to save it and he donated the land and building to the community. It was dedicated as the Faye G. Belardi Memorial Library in 1956. The one-story vernacular Victorian building has Gothic windows, wide horizontal siding, a bell cupola over the apse, and an arched ceiling of pressed tin panels in a floral design. Its form remains largely unaltered, and it recalls Felton's lumber and tourism era.
Significance in brief: It is one of the oldest church structures in the San Lorenzo Valley and the first church building in Felton. It survived a planned demolition after townspeople rallied to save it, and it was converted to a library with few alterations. Architecturally it is a late 19th century vernacular country church, notable for its pressed tin ceiling in a floral pattern.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78000774, listed April 6, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6299 Gushee St., Felton |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Cruz County |
| Listed | April 6, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000774 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown architect, volunteer carpenters |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Victorian church with Gothic windows; late 19th century vernacular country church |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a public library; kept in excellent repair and freshly painted as required. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.05268, -122.07438 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78000774.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5442673
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.