Gallery

Dr. Ernest Holmes was the founder of the Church of Religious Science. In 1957, Paul R. Williams designed this circular building symbolizing the wholeness, unity, unending, and all-inclusive power of love basic to Science of Mind teachings. According to 1959 articles in the Los Angeles Times,  the building was slated to be a notable religious structure in Southern California. The dome would suspend 50 feet over the main auditorium that was 100 feet at the widest dimension. Another unique feature was the inclusion of facilities for closed-circuit television a new technology in the 1950s. The Church would be centered in a lush garden to surround the congregation in greenery with sculpture featuring the great philosophers of history.

The total cost of the Williams' three phased construction program was $3.5 million with the church alone costing $1 million.