[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN HONOR OF THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF PACIFIC GROVE

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                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2013

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the First United 
Methodist Church of Pacific Grove on the 50th anniversary of the 
relocation of their campus from downtown to its current site at the 
corner of Sunset Drive and the historic Seventeen Mile Drive.
   In the early 1870s, a group of ministers of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church in California began the search for a site to build a summer 
retreat. They found the perfect spot in the pine woods on the point of 
the Monterey Peninsula, and in 1875 the Pacific Grove Retreat 
Association was formed. Modeled after the popular Chautauqua program in 
New York, the Retreat attracted hundreds of campers every year. A hall 
was built to house the Chautauqua events and provide a place of 
worship. Lots were sold and a tent village emerged. The healthy climate 
and beautiful scenery attracted a year-round population and over time 
the tents were replaced with permanent homes. In 1888, the cornerstone 
was laid for a sanctuary and the following year Pacific Grove was 
incorporated as a town.
   The old church building was famous for its twin spires and lighted, 
revolving cross that could be seen for miles out to sea. Over the 
years, guest speakers included Presidents Benjamin Harrison, William 
McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt, as well as Susan B. Anthony, Georgia 
Harkness, and Maud Booth. By the 1950s, the structure was falling into 
disrepair and areas of it were declared unsafe. The Sunday School had 
to rent the movie theater across the street to meet in and the office 
was moved downstairs where the heavy furniture would not be a hazard. 
The beloved old building would have to be replaced; the question 
remained whether to rebuild on the same site or find another location.
   In the end, it was found that rebuilding on the same site would be 
more expensive than moving. The new site on Seventeen Mile Drive just 
outside the gate into Pebble Beach offered space for parking and room 
to build and grow. A quiet spot in a pine forest and home to a large 
herd of mule deer, it evoked memories of the original Retreat from so 
many years ago. Ground was broken in 1962 on Palm Sunday, and on April 
7, 1963, again on Palm Sunday, the first worship service was held. 
Sunday, April 7, 2013 marked the fiftieth anniversary of that first 
service.
   First United Methodist Church has been a beacon of love and of 
spiritual health and renewal in this community. The contributions and 
efforts that they have made and will continue to make are invaluable, 
and I am honored to be able to recognize their achievements.
   Mr. Speaker, I know the whole House joins me in heartfelt 
congratulations on this auspicious day and wishing the congregation 
good luck in all of their future endeavors.

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