History of La Crescenta Church of Religious Science

On December 8, 1948, a group of friends (who had been meeting in homes as a study group) received an "Articles of Incorporation of the Crescenta Valley Foundation" signed by Frank M. Jordan, then Secretary of State. The purposes of the Foundation were as follows:

To seek the truth through study and research.

To promote the cooperation between religion, science, and philosophy, toward a better and more effective understanding of the sciences of mind, body and spirit and their interrelations.

To disseminate this knowledge through education, inspiration. publication and demonstration.

To provide mental and spiritual training for healthy, joyous. abundant living, recognizing the usefulness of this training in the continuity of life.

To teach the interpretation and application to individual and collective living of the truth that there is one universe, created by one substance (Spirit). operating according to law and order.

To teach the interpretation and application to individual and collective living of the truth taught and lived by Jesus that there is a divine power available to man, which when used constructively by him, will manifest his desires accordin g to his faith.


It was signed by the following
	Clifford Chaffee	Charles Collum
	Sally Chaffee	Frank Thomson
	Dale Shinkle	William Wilkie
	Howard Shinkle

The Chaffees, Collums and Shinkles purchased a plot of land on Dunsmore Avenue in La Crescenta and, realizing the need for a church, gave the Santa Carlotta corner to the Crescenta Valley Foundation.

There were practically no paved streets in the area - just dirt trails through the thick brush, with coyotes howling at night.

The Collums and Chaffees built their homes (which can still be seen today) on part of the land south of the church property .

The parking lot area was sold to the Church. A loan of $5,000 was obtained from Bank of America to build the sanctuary. The five trustee families added $2,500 to it for the building costs and a note of $500 if costs went over $7,500. There was also a note of $800 for the builders' wages. A bid from Mr. W. L. Bain, Contractor. was accepted to build the church building for $8,000.

An estimate was made of $500 to build a porch on the West side and this was added on.

On August 14, 1949, a ground breaking ceremony (attended by Ernest Holmes) was held and the 1,500 square foot Religious Science of Mind of Crescenta Valley was built. It was occupied in October of 1949, and dedicated June 18, 1950. Ernest Holmes was the keynote speaker at the dedication.

THIS WAS THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SCIENCE CHURCH TO HAVE ITS OWN CHURCH BUILDING.

Edited From a News Article in The Record Ledger
dated Ax?ust 25, 1949

Ground Breaking for Church of Religious Science

Sunday, August 14 was the occasion of ground breaking ceremonies for the new church home of the Crescenta Valley First Chapter of Religious Science at the southwest corner of Dunsmore and Santa Carlotta, La Crescenta. This organization, which held its first public meeting in the Valley on the eve of Thanksgiving, 1947, is a member of the International Association of Religious Science and Philosophy, Los Angeles of which Ernest Holmes is the Founder.

The building was designed by architect Joe Jordan and will be constructed by Wilfred Bain, Tujunga contractor. The building will take full advantage of the beautiful views afforded by the high ground of its location which is in the geographical center of the valley.

A unique feature of the construction will be a garden connecting the outer covered terrace with the inside of the auditorium through a plate glass wall, making an unusual setting for weddings. The garden will contain a special fount for baptisms.

A church office, book store, and kitchen facilities are part of the projected structure and Sunday School facilities in a separate building are also planned for the future. The completed building of 1,500 square feet and the property will represent a valuation of approximately $18.000.

The first shovels of earth were turned by the Minister, Rev. Sally Chaffee, and the contractor, Wilfred Bain, symbolizing the unification of the spiritual and the physical in building this structure, dedicated to the all around needs of this community.

The Church of Religious Science, according to the Minister, is nonsectarian and teaches a philosophy of life based on the truth gleaned from the thinkers, philosophers and spiritual leaders of all time. It presents an understanding of the Science of Mind and believes that a man and his affairs are shaped by his thinking. It is vitally- interested in an individual's physical, mental, material and spiritual life.

Edited from a New Article From The Record Ledger dated
September 30, 1954

(Thank you to Mary Lou Pozzo, a current church member for providing this newspaper article.)

The husband and wife team, Dr. Sally Chaffee and the Rev. Clifford Chaffee founded the Church of Religious Science in La Crescenta.

Dr. Chaffee, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, was a concert singer and professional musician. As a young adult, she left Scotland and moved to Canada where she met Clifford Chaffee who was working with a boys ' group similar to the Y.M.C.A. They were later married in Santa Ana, California.

For many years, they were active in the Methodist Church, then became interested in Religious Science and enrolled in the Institute of Religious Science in Los Angeles.

Following their graduation, the Chaffees organized their first church in La Crescenta. The first meetings were held at the La Crescenta Women's Club, which soon proved too small and construction of a church building was begun.

The church's rapid growth necessitated enlarging the church and junior church buildings. Landscaping and black topping of the grounds and parking area also have been completed.

In addition to dedication to the church, the Chaffees have similar hobbies including music and the arts. They are members of the Verdugo Hills Art Association.

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