First Church has been called “the mother church of Oakland,” because it was the first to be formally organized (in as early as 1853). When it was organized, it included members whose traditional affiliations included Methodist, Baptist and Congregational, and from there sprung out First Baptist Church in 1854, St. John’s Episcopal Church in 1855, First Congregational Church in 1862, and First Methodist Church in 1862.
This church building was an English Gothic structure, designed by William C. Hays and completed in 1914. Its huge organ has over 4,000 pipes, the largest of which are 32 feet tall. Outside, the copper-clad spire is 138 feet tall. The original plans for the building included a taller steeple, but some members of the congregation felt they were spending too much on the building and not enough on their missions, so a smaller steeple was built instead. Inside in the sanctuary, long, white walls are lined with green, plaid stained glass up high, and scenes from church’s near-100 year history are captured in stained glass line the walls near the ground. Over 4000 organ pipes that are about 30 feet tall fit inside a white, 65-foot arch at the altar at the front of the church.
When the current building was originally constructed, 27th Street did not connect between Broadway and Telegraph Avenue, so the church was usually described as being at the intersection of 26th and Broadway. Now, the lawn between 26th and 27th street is a place where families and dogs play.