Nativity - the roamin' Catholic church

In 1872, after logging had ceased in the area and the populations had shifted from the surrounding hills to the valley, Archbishop Alemany of San Francisco dedicated a chapel on an acre of land at Ringwood and Middlefield in Menlo Park, California. This chapel, originally St. Bridgit's, a mission of St. Matthew's of San Mateo, was to take over the spiritual guidance of the towns in the area, which included Menlo Park, Atherton, Redwood City, Palo Alto, and Mountain View. Nativity soon grew and was established as a parish in 1877, and a resident pastor, Rev. William Speckels, was appointed.

In 1878 a change of ownership in the land around the church limited possibilities of growth and Nativity moved. The chapel, which measured 40x55 feet, was transported on log rollers from Ringwood to another location on Santa Cruz Avenue. More...