About the Church of the Epiphany
Founded in 1887, the Church of the Epiphany is the oldest sustaining Episcopal congregation in Los Angeles. By 1913, the congregation outgrew the existing structure, and construction began on a new sanctuary building. The existing church was converted to the parish hall and incorporated into the new building.
Throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, the church was a hub for the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.
Labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez (pictured above), who worked out of nearby Boyle Heights for several years, was among the noted figures who gave speeches at this church.
Youth leaders met at the church to plan the 1968 East L.A. Chicano Student Walkouts, a widespread protest against educational and social inequality. The church also hosted early discussions regarding the 1970 Chicano Moratorium. At one point, its basement housed production for La Raza, a major publication of the Chicanx movement.
The church was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2005 for its important cultural legacy. Today, the church remains a center for activism on behalf of immigrants, workers, and LGBTQ people, as well as a vital hub of direct services in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood.
The Conservancy supports the Epiphany Conservation Trust’s efforts to secure funding to restore the building.
The church needs significant repairs and renovation, including repairs to the roof and electrical system, and renovation of the basement, where much of the Chicanx movement was organized. The renovated space will house the church’s healthcare and legal clinic programs, their People’s History Project, and community meetings. If you vote daily and the Church of the Epiphany wins the $150,000, they will be able to make these much-needed repairs and renovations.
Vote for the Church of the Epiphany now »
About the Epiphany Conservation Trust
The Epiphany Conservation Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the living legacy of the Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights through the renovation and restoration of its historic buildings, the re-telling of its history in the struggle for human rights, and in support of programs for education, civil rights, and economic justice.
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