Yeah! It Worked!!
History of the Church Building:
It was a mansion. JJ Haggerty(wealthy merchant) built it in 1927 as his summmer place. It was designed in the fashion of villas along the Mediterranean. The building follows along the curve of the cliff and had 32 rooms in the origional plan. What today is the church sancutary was once a living room.
The grounds contained a formal garden (some of it is still left) and it had a privite pier, which is now mostly gone (only a few pilings left).
When the Haggerty business fell on hard times, the masion passed through several owners until Harry Wheeler bought it to house his art collection. When Harry died, his family didn't want the villa or the art, so it became a white elephant on the real estate market of 1949.
Finally the executors of the Wheeler estate accepted a bid from the members of the United Church of Christ, Neighborhood Church
(who had been meeting in members homes as they had no building) and the church finally had a home!
I don't know what the
trees are out in front, but the old gardens (now a parking lot) had olive and palm
trees.
the garden photo with the bridge! That is going to make a lovely setting for portraits.. are you going to do some there? 
![[Linked Image]](http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/mich1681/Pre-Wedding/SunsetPV1.jpg)