April 23, 2003

Are you a supporter?

Practically nobody is against saving the Little Brown Church as a part of Pacifica history. I've become deeply involved with a group of Pacifica's leading citizens who've been working diligently for the past four or five years to save this local historical landmark. In that time I've heard no real objections to saving it where it stands. Thousands of us love the old building. While there are those who are indifferent, we've run across practically nobody who's in real opposition to saving it. Pacificans love that fine old building. It's one of the few things Pacificans are really united about. Yet the old church is in very real danger.

20 years ago, when the city needed a place to house our police, it bought the old brown building at Francisco and Salada which dated from the early days of Salada Beach. It has served the needs of our police department for the past two decades, just as it had served the various needs of the community since 1910. The city council and city staff in charge in 1983 meant well. They knew they were dealing with an irreplaceable, well-loved structure. They said as much in their inter-office memos. Like a beloved grandmother with outstretched arms, the building seemed incongruous when serving the needs of the police. City records in 1983 show that local officials took their responsibility for historic preservation seriously. They fully intended to maintain the old building and keep its structural integrity intact. Now that we have a fine new police station, we must find ways to save and use this monument to the best parts of our past.

As with any wooden structure built in 1910, it has its shortcomings. After all, it wasn't even electrified until 1920, and that was done by volunteer parishioners. A newspaper article described the celebration when that chore was completed, and the delicious potluck meal enjoyed by the locals.

Today the committee seeking to secure the old church for posterity is headed up by Karl Baldwin. Pacifica's very first city manager, he recognizes the importance of historical continuity. I'm probably the person most conscious of the variety of folks who want to save the old structure. That's because I volunteered to keyboard the names and addresses of supporters into the computer. Their politics run the gamut, from conservative to liberal, reactionary to radical. Some supporters are scattered all over the state, even some out of California. (Some write notes to explain that they grew up in Pacifica, and describe how fond they are of the old structure.)

Most are Pacificans, of course. Every part of town is represented. From Fairmont to Park Pacifica, Pedro Point to Westview, local citizens have signed the green cards that state simply, "Please register my support for saving the Little Brown Church and for restoring it where it stands."

You can do the same. Just send a postcard or note with that comment to P.O. Box 752, Pacifica. sign it. Then please print your name, address and phone number. I've had to keyboard a few "indecipherables" into the computer. As you can imagine, I'd rather spell your name right in our records. So print out the info.

Save postage. Write out the information on a sheet. Get all your family members, friends and neighbors to sign the same sheet. One 37 cent stamp can serve five, 10, even 20 supporters. If you need more information on the Little Brown Church, just e mail me at paul@thereactor.net. While we have several hundred backers recorded, we really need several thousand. There are 20,000 registered voters in Pacifica, but you can be a teenager, a non-Pacifican or even a non-citizen and still support this wonderful cause. Wouldn't a whole fifth grade class be delightful? I'd be delighted to have 25,000 folks backing us up, though I'd have to get keyboarding help if that should happen.

Paul Azevedo can be reached at Paul@thereactor.net The Pacifica Historical Society's e mail address is Pachist@earthlink.net
Check The Reactor's website at www.thereactor.net.