Adventure 051, Site 022 - Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 022 - Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church

National Registry ID: 1986002097

Local Registry ID: 19

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 16, 2012

Location:

Latitude: 36°43′54″N

Longitude: 119°46′54″W

Address: 2226 Ventura, Fresno, CA

Description:

Date Built: 1914

Architect: Condrajian,L.K.

Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church was the first church built in the tradition of Armenian church architecture in the United States. It additionally is the first designed by an Armenian architect, Lawrence Karekin Cone (Condrajian). Cone was Fresno's first Armenian architect. Although there are older churches in the United States used for Armenian services, these facilities either were existing church structures not built for Armenians, or built by Armenians with no reference to Armenian church architecture.

In designing this church, Cone followed very closely the style of old Armenian churches in Armenia and Turkey from the fourth to seventeenth centuries. Armenian church architecture has long been recognized as the first church architecture to reflect a unique style, which was perfected in its various forms after the seventh century A.D. It is believed that this style and the method of construction influenced the later European Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The church's unique dome characterizes this building as Armenian more than any other single design feature.

The Holy Trinity Church was located at the center of "Armenian Town," a ten to twelve-block area in downtown Fresno. This area remained predominantly Armenian until the mid-1950s, when many Armenians there became financially and socially successful and moved out.



References:

• Guide to Historic Fresno
  
• Holy Trinity Armenian's Web Site
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• Wikipedia: California's National Landmarks (WCNL)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)