The Carriage House

Initially organized in 1960, the congregation of St. Andrew met at the home of The Rev. William Huskins, who subsequently became the first pastor. In 1961, the Presbytery of the Redwoods, St. Andrew’s parent church, purchased the Spreckles’ family carriage house for $48,000. Originally part of sugar magnate Rudolf Spreckles’ Sobre Vista estate, the structure was built in 1902 at the then substantial cost of $7,000. Infamous at the time, local legend describes some 70 craftsmen laboring for 70 days to construct a building to further the Spreckels’ interest in horseracing.

Despite its typically humble use, this carriage house and stable complex were more elegant than many fine homes of the era, their interior finished in the finest glistening mahogany and fir paneling. With an area totaling 6,200 square feet, the two-story building was more than adequate for the newly formed church. The parishioners set to work transforming the old building. The large carriage room became the sanctuary, seating about 175 people. The tack room became the social room and the large double horse stalls became six Sunday school rooms. Another long row of horse stalls was converted to a choir room and a nursery room. The second floor, which had been used primarily as a hay loft, was left unfinished and not used by the church. Other details in the fine craftsmanship of the building included giant wrought iron hinges on the stall doors and hand-forged iron hay feeders.

Due in large part to its historical nature as well as the warmth of its interior, the old building soon won the hearts of its parishioners. Regardless of the hard work required to maintain the structure, the congregation quickly felt a strong personal attachment to its one-of-a-kind church.

Passing Years

Through the intervening years, the church was well served by a series of very capable Pastors that included Ian Fraser, Morris Roach, Hugh Goss, William Dunlap, Douglas Millham, and our present pastor Richard Gantenbein.

Throughout these years, the condition of the much-loved building was often called into play. Having withstood more than 80 years of Sonoma’s hot, dry climate, the structure was recognized as vulnerable to fire.

In 1986, a task force was formed to do long-range planning for the preservation of the church structure. Among the issues addressed were fire prevention, document storage, and a review of the insurance policy. In the event of a fire, temporary facilities were secured and a decision was made to rebuild on the church’s present location. Finally, a complete photographic inventory of the interior furnishings and the exterior construction details of the church was recommended. These areas of study were developed and put into action where appropriate between April 1986 and March 1989.

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