This church was organized March 15, 1897. Services were held for a number of years in several different halls in the city. It was while they were being held in Woodmen of the World Hall, East Sixth and Alder Streets, some time after the purchase of lots at East Seventh and Pine Streets in 1907 for the sum of eight thousand dollars, that the thought of building took definite form. Previous to that time there seemed to the members to be other missions to be fulfilled before they felt it was time to erect a church building for themselves. One of these missions was the raising of a contribution for the building fund for The Mother Church extension. Another was the contribution of two thousand dollars, in 1909, to the building fund of First Church of Christ, Scientist, of this city.
At a meeting of the members, held in June, 1913, it was the unanimous vote of those present that a temporary structure be built on the lots at East Seventh and Pine Streets, which at this time, because of the surroundings, did not seem a suitable location for a permanent structure. An architect was engaged, plans were drawn, and the work was about to begin, when it was the expressed sense of a number that they did not feel satisfied to build on this location as had been arranged. Another meeting of the members was held, the subject was again considered, and further investigation authorized, which resulted in the purchase of lots at East Sixth Street and Holladay Avenue, for the sum of twelve thousand five hundred dollars, on which it was voted to build a forty thousand dollar permanent structure. A building committee of five was then appointed to carry on the work as rapidly as possible. The plans drawn for this building included an auditorium to seat about one thousand, a large Sunday school room, rooms for Readers, organist, soloist, ushers, and Board of Directors, the last mentioned also being designed for use as a reading room, although to date it has not been used as such for the reason that the reading room which is maintained jointly by the Churches of Christ, Scientist, of Portland has met the need.
The building was begun in February, 1914. During the construction it was found necessary to allow the building committee fifteen hundred dollars more to complete the work that had been begun.
