History of First Church of Religious Science

The history of First Church of Religious Science began on September 9, 1947 when Walter and Eleanor Coltrin organized a Religious Science Study Group that met weekly in the Tea Room of the Bakersfield Women’s Club. A year and a half later – on March 5, 1949 – the group received a church charter from United Church of Religious Science, and the Coltrins were ordained as the first ministers. They served the new church for almost four years, until September 1952. The congregation carried on with guest speakers for almost a year, until the Reverend Paula Swan Arnold was chosen as minister.

During the ten-year ministry of Rev. Paula, the present church facility began to evolve. In February 1954 the Board of Trustees negotiated a loan to purchase the Curran home. The owners of record after James Curran’s death in 1952 were W.J. and Elizabeth McNaul. The purchase price was $15,000. Church services were held in the solarium which was on the east side of the house, where the present church foyer is located. The house not only was the center for church functions, but also served as the home of Rev. Paula and her two young sons.

The expanding congregation soon outgrew the limited solarium space, and in 1957 plans were developed for the addition of the present sanctuary. In 1958 a contract for construction was awarded to A.L. Pagni, for $15,220. On November 30, 1958 the chapel was dedicated at a service attended by representatives of the United Churches of Religious Science. Dr. Ernest Holmes, founder of the Religious Science philosophy, was the principal speaker.

Over the years, the congregation of First Church has been guided by a distinguished series of ministers. Their photographs, with names and dates of tenure, are displayed in a picture album in the Church foyer.

History of the Curran House

The Curran house at 222 Eureka Street was built by James Curran, Bakersfield pioneer and civic leader. Born in New York in 1862, he came West in 1881 and settled in Bakersfield, then a town of about 700. In 1886 he founded Sandstone Brick Company, a business that soon expanded from brick making to general building supplies.

James Curran married Mary Swain of Rosedale in 1887. The Currans raised eight children in their first home, which was built in 1891, on part of 40 acres of land purchased by James in 1885. The present house was built on the same property in 1927. It was constructed of sandstone brick which was fired in the company kilns. The builder was Henry Eissler, another prominent Bakersfield pioneer.

James and Mary Curran lived their remaining years in the second home. After James Curran’s death in 1952, the house was owned by W.J. and Elizabeth McNaul, who sold it in February 1954 to the present owner, First Church of Religious Science. For four years, church services were held in the solarium, which was an addition to the house in 1937. In 1958 that room was incorporated into a new structure, the present church sanctuary, and it remained connected to the original residence. The first floor of the residence now serves as a lounge and reception area, with offices upstairs.

Some remodeling has been necessary to adapt the house to congregational use, but insofar as possible the original exterior and interior have been preserved. Furniture, curtains and wallpaper have been chosen to reflect the 1920-1930 style of the Curran home. A center of attraction in the lounge is the distinctive fireplace. Constructed of three different colors of sandstone brick, it has an unusual double-arched design that is both structurally sound and aesthetically unique. Another handsome feature of the lounge is the woodwork and paneling of California redwood. The front door of the house was made from the wood of a walnut tree that had been cut down when the house was build.

Historical Designation of the Curran House

In 1993, Betty Sanderson, Board member of the First Church of Religious Science, was instrumental in preparing the documentation for having the Curran House dedicated as a historical monument in Bakersfield. The dedication ceremony included many of the Curran Family members, Mayor Bob Price, and Councilmember Pat DeMond of the City of Bakersfield. A plaque celebrating the historical designation hangs above the fireplace in the Church Lounge.