McNear: Mendocino’s Presbyterian Church was constructed ‘like the hull of a ship’ — upside down

When driving north along Highway 1 towards Mendocino, the Presbyterian Church steeple is one of the first structures you’ll see as the town comes into view. At a height of 78 feet, the steeple rises above the structures along the south side of Mendocino’s Main Street, immediately drawing the eye.

A Presbyterian congregation was formed in Mendocino in 1859. Eliza Kelley was among the first members of the congregation, although she would go on to pioneer the founding of the Kelley Baptist Church. A small church was built on the northeast corner of Lansing and Ukiah streets, but the congregation quickly outgrew the building. William Heeser and Jerome B. Ford were among residents leading the fundraising campaign for a new church, and Ford donated a considerable amount himself.