By Doc Ritz
Healdsburg has a long and rich history within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The only city with more of our church’s history is Battle Creek, Michigan. Much of Healdsburg’s early church history includes J. N. Loughborough, the first Seventh-day Adventist minister in California.
In July of 1859, Merritt G. Kellogg, the first Seventh-day Adventist to arrive in California, reached San Francisco where he immediately began sharing his beliefs. He later sold his own home so that he could appear in person at the sixth session of the General Conference in May of 1868. There, he made a personal plea for a missionary to come to the far-off field of California.
Two men, J.N. Loughborough and O.T. Bordeau, accepted this call. They held their first meeting in Petaluma on August 13, 1868. Then they moved on to Windsor, Piner, and Santa Rosa. In June of 1869 they pitched their tent in Healdsburg. On October 30, 1869, they founded a church of twenty-eight members which still stands on Center Street. The Santa Rosa Church was established twenty-nine days later.
J. N. Loughborough was the pastor of the first two Seventh-day Adventist churches in Healdsburg, the one on Center Street and later the Beehive (so called because of its encircling porches.) He was also the assistant pastor of the 600 member Healdsburg College Church on the corner of Fitch and Matheson, founded in 1882.
Alonzo Baker, church historian, was raised in Healdsburg by his older sister Alma Baker McKibben. When Alonzo was about twelve years old, he was stoking the fire in the furnace of the big church along with a friend, Tom Grant. The two boys were making considerable noise. Elder Loughborough came in and scolded them for making so much noise. Twenty-seven years later, just before Elder Loughborough died, he sent both Alonzo Baker and Tom Grant a letter asking for their forgiveness for scolding them. He didn’t want anything to stand in his way for salvation. He truly was a man of God and Healdsburg owes much to him.
Healdsburg Academy
Located in a brick structure just off Healdsburg’s main street, Healdsburg Academy opened on April 11, 1882 with two teachers and twenty-six students. Just a few months later, the school’s name was changed to Healdsburg College. In 1906 it became Pacific Union College.
Healdsburg College Faculty
Healdsburg College Students
28 Students the first year.
Healdsburg College Classroom
The first Seventh-day Adventist Church West of the Rockies located in Healdsburg, 1869-1871
214A Center Street
Organized by J.N. Loughborough on November 11, 1869
Drawing credit: Francis Etchell
The second SDA Church in Healdsburg, the ‘Beehive’ with the wrap-around porch seated 200 and was not far from the College.
331 North Street
1871-1886
The Northern California Conference president at the time, George Butler was visiting and recommended building a larger church since Healdsburg College was bringing in more Adventists to the area.
Drawing credit: Francis Etchell
Healdsburg College Church
The third SDA Church in Healdsburg – College Church – 1882-19xx
Located at the corner of Fitch and Matheson. It seated 500 and was dismantled after the college was moved to Angwin.
It was built after the college because so many families moved into the area. At the time, about 1/5 of the population of Healdsburg was Seventh-day Adventist. The West Healdsburg neighborhood near Grant and Grove streets was designated “Advent Town”.
The third SDA church seated xxx and was located on xxx
The fourth SDA church in Healdsburg located on Fitch and Piper, built 1921 and occupied until 1972. Currently the Evangel Assembly Church (with stucco siding). There were school classrooms and a bus barn in the back until the Adventist churches in the area combined and built Redwood Empire Junior Academy on Wright road in Santa Rosa (former Army Air Corps base) Later the Juniors and Kindergarten Sabbath School classes met in the church building itself. Then they made the bus barn into the Primary and Beginner’s Sabbath School classrooms. The basement was dug out for Dorcas use.
Elder NC Wilson recommended a new facility be built, as the church has exceeded capacity. The 5th church on Terrace Blvd was built and began occupancy January of 1972.
The fifth SDA Church at 429 Terrace Blvd is the current location, built in 1972.
Drawing credit: Francis Etchell