January 27, 1999

Hold onto this bit of history

If any one of your ancestors had not had children, you would not be here. There has to be continuity, a chain of life. Break the chain, and that family ceases to exist.

This is so obvious, it probably sounds silly to bring it up. But thereÍs another chain, a chain of concern and responsibility, that is also important. For example, the Little Brown Church, a historical and important part of Coastside life for almost a century, could have been lost at any point along the way. An accidental fire is always a danger to a wooden building. Almost worse are reversed priorities. Each generation has to continue to value what has gone before it. Most old buildings are eventually torn down. The space they occupied is used for new construction. Only a very few of the old farm houses in San Pedro Valley, like the Del Rosso home on Peralta, are left. It took 100 years for San Mateo County residents to value the Sanchez Adobe, the oldest building in the county, enough to set it aside as a historical treasure.

Luckily, there have been concerned citizens in Pacifica, like Mr. C.H. Hollander, who in 1987 wrote a report for the California Dept. of Parks and Recreation giving details about the historical value of the Little Brown church. He noted that the church property was sold to the city on May 27, 1983.

The city managerÍs report in 1983, discussing the possible purchase of the property from its most recent owner, the Church of the Highlands, mentions the possibility of moving the church across the street to the parking lot north of what is now the Thai restaurant. In a memo to Dave Finigan, (the City Manager), Phil Mayo, the building official, writes: ñThe Little Brown Church relocation across the street is feasible provided the back porch of the church is removed and the building is moved toward Francisco Boulevard to provide a five foot minimum rear yard, with a five foot side yard next to the Sea Food Grotto (now the Thai Restaurant) ...

As it happens, the back portion of the church has the least historical value, being a late addition to the building used for school classrooms. Like any old wooden structure, the church was never intended to last forever. Today it needs some major repairs, including a new roof and structural timbers. If it were not for its key role in the history of the city, its ties to the Ocean Shore Railway, its connections with the pastor of the Coastside, Herschel Harkins, its ties to such people as Bertha and Matthias Anderson, it might well be torn down. Hopefully, that wonÍt happen. Hopefully, the present generation will value its continued presence enough to pay the price needed to save this landmark. Each new generation in turn has to take on the responsibility of respecting and preserving the past. Break the chain and the past is gone forever. We no longer have many of the buildings that made this coastal strip unique. We no longer have Lydia Comerford Fahey's 19th century ranch house. We no longer have the home that was decorated with giant tusks. (Can anyone tell me the how and the why of that structure?) Luckily, the Little Brown Church continues. With your help and concern, it will be preserved.

A past president of the Pacifica Historical Society, Paul Azevedo is concerned that Pacifica history is preserved and that all Pacificans, especially grade schoolers, are made aware of their heritage.