Sunday, Mar. 03, 2013 | 08:15 AM
Question: What is the history of the church building at Los Angeles and E streets?
-- Tim Thiesen, Dinuba
Answer: The large, brick Free Evangelical Lutheran Cross Church was built in the early 1900s by Volga Germans from Russia who settled in Fresno.
The architecture follows the traditional Kontor-style church built in Russia in the late 1800s: a cross-shaped footprint, a pedimented portico supported by Doric column and a stately domed bell tower.
By the early 1890s, a group of the Russian-born Volga Germans living in Fresno decided they needed a church. Pastor Jacob Legler came from Russia to lead the congregation and organized the Free Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1892.
The congregation built its first church on D Street in 1895. When the congregation outgrew that structure, the brick church was built at F and San Diego streets in 1915.
In 1947, the church was in the way of the new Highway 99 alignment and faced demolition. So the congregation hired Star House Movers of Los Angeles to move the 1,800-ton structure topped with the 65-foot tower. The firm laid rail tracks along F and Los Angeles streets to guide the massive building, which rode on steel rollers, two blocks to its current location at 208 E St.
The church was sold in 1966. Today the Fresno Temple Church of God congregation meets in the 96-year-old building, which is listed on Fresno's Local Register of Historic Resources.
Q: Does the cactus garden planted by a couple at their Old Fig Garden home still exist?
-- Roy Cotton, Dinuba
A: Known as the Deutsch Cactus Garden, the collection of cacti from the American West and South America is now located at the Discovery Center, a nonprofit science education facility at 1937 N. Winery Ave.
The cactus garden was started in 1935 by Fred and Perle Deutsch. It took up most of their 1.5-acre lot at 4671 N. Van Ness Boulevard.
Fred Deutsch, who opened a used car business in 1917, retired in 1945 and devoted most of his time to the garden.
In 1963, Deutsch estimated his garden held nearly 500 varieties of cacti from California, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, Baja California, Mexico City, Hawaii and Brazil. His pride and joy then was a 200-year-old saguaro cactus hauled from the Arizona desert in 1936.
The cactus garden became a popular destination for college, high school and elementary students and garden clubs. The garden also included many succulents, a rose garden and a replica of a Hopi Indian dwelling built from hardpan excavated from the couple's back yard.
The Deutsches also converted their den into a museum of their collection of Yokuts and Mono Indian artifacts.
In 1977, the Deutsches arranged to leave the garden to Fresno County upon their deaths, with a stipulation that the garden would become a public park.
Fred Deutsch died in 1980. In 1983 neighbors voiced objections to the park plan over concerns about traffic and noise. Perle Deutsch lived in their home until her death in 1987.
Fresno County had initially accepted the Deutsches' offer, but in 1989 the Fresno County Board of Supervisors offered instead to find a new home for the cactus collection. The garden plants were moved to the Discovery Center in 1995, where visitors can still see them today.
Q: What is the history of the Senior Citizens Village on South Chestnut Avenue? I've driven by there all my life.
-- Brian Bobbitt, Fresno
A: The Senior Citizens Village at 1917 S. Chestnut Ave. was developed by senior citizen advocate George McLain for people ages 62 and older.
Ground was broken in October 1960 for the $4.5-million village on 42 acres with 557 apartments and a central activity center. The first eight residents moved into apartments in November 1961.
When it opened, rents for furnished apartments were $90 for one bedroom and $80 for studios. The apartments rented unfurnished for $80 and $70, respectively.
At an opening ceremony, Village superintendent W.D. Sprigg said, "Everything here is designed for the elderly," with wider doorways to accommodate wheelchairs, ramps instead of stairs and handrails in bathrooms.
McLain died in 1965 at age 64. His son, George McLain Jr., managed the village for many years.
Today the complex has two villages, the original Senior Citizens Village and the California League-Fresno Village built in 1971, with 732 apartments for seniors.
