4
JANUARY 26–FEBRUARY 2, 2022
CULTURE & HERITAGE
CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
Historic church towers over
John Day’s Main Street
By Cheryl Hoefler
GO! Magazine
J
Cheryl Hoefler/Go! Magazine
The Gothic Revival-style Advent Christian Church presides over John Day’s Main Street.
OHN DAY — Five minutes. That’s all
you’ll need to savor this stately slice
of John Day’s rich history.
The Advent Christian Church on Main
Street has been presiding over the town’s
business district for more than 120 years.
Built under the leadership of the Rev.
Samuel Bayliss Hope, the building was
completed and dedicated in 1900.
This ornate piece of architecture, with
elaborate handiwork both inside and out,
is an example of the Gothic Revival design
popular for churches during that period.
Especially noteworthy are the detailed de-
signs on the entryway and bell tower, and
a weather vane at the very top, all believed
to be the work of Hope himself.
By the mid-1920s, the once-thriving
congregation dwindled and the building
became inactive. Over the ensuing years,
it was rented at times by various Christian
denominations. For a couple of years in
the 1940s, the space was shared by the
Seventh-day Adventists and Missionary
Baptists, who were both attempting to buy
the church.
Eventually the Seventh-day Adventists
bought the church and made repairs. A
dedication was held in August 1949 and a
new flock flourished.
In 1969, a fire tore through the Main
Street area, destroying many nearby busi-
nesses, but the church escaped with only
minimal damage.
Eventually, the Seventh-day Adventist
congregation moved on to a newer loca-
tion, leaving the church empty — and for
sale — once again.
In 1987, the newly formed John Day
Historic Preservation Foundation part-
nered with the Grant County Chamber of
Commerce to purchase the property. In
1992, it earned a spot on the United States
National Register of Historic Places.
The parsonage building behind the
church, used for a time by the Chamber
of Commerce, is now home to the Grant
County Genealogical Society.
The Advent Christian Church is on the
northeast corner of Main and NW Bridge
streets in John Day. Plenty of parallel park-
ing is available on both streets.
Again, five minutes is all you’ll need,
though you will likely spend more time in
order to truly appreciate this glorious gem.