• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ARMENIAN ORTHODOX HERITAGE SITES

April 12, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Fresno, California

(photo from St. Paul Armenian website)

(photo from Wikipedia)

The Armenian Orthodox Church, one of the ancient Middle Eastern Churches not in communion with either the Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic churches, was largely founded by refugees fleeing brutal persecution in Asia.  Those who arrived in Southern and Central California discovered a new land reminiscent of their homes and established one of the most vibrant ethnic Christian communities in and around Fresno.  Fresno has since become the heart of the Armenian Orthodox diaspora, and is the largest community of such Christians outside of the Middle East.  The Armenian Church has left its stamp on Fresno, both culturally and architecturally.

History

The Armenian Orthodox Church claims to be the oldest on Earth.  Founded in the first century by the apostles, it was the first Christian church to be legally reconigzed by a state.  Throughout many centuries the Armenian Church remained independent of all other churches, especially after the area was conquered by a series of Islamic powers starting in the Middle Ages.  Under the Ottomans, the Armenians suffered ever increasing persecutions and ultimately massacres.

(photo from Flickr)

(photo from Flickr)

The first Armenian Christians settled in America as far back as the 17th century.  However, the first true waves of immigration did not begin until the early 1800s.  With the help of American missionaries, Armenian Protestant converts began arriving in the cities of the northeast in the years leading up to the American Civil War.

In 1881, two Armenian brothers arrived in Fresno and established the first true Armenian community on the west coast.  This community grew rapidly, particularly in the 1890s due in large part to the Hamidian Massacres back in the Ottoman Empire.  Although some of these were Protestant converts, most were true Armenian Orthodox.  By the late 1920s Fresno became the largest city of the Armenian diaspora, and much of the regional farms were owned by community members.  In 1914 the community established the Holy Trinity Church, the first Armenian Orthodox church in the United States.

(photo from St. Paul Armenian website)

(photo from St. Paul Armenian website)

During the Great Depression and World War II, a newer, larger Armenian community formed in nearby Los Angeles.  Although this eventually grew larger than the Fresno community, Fresno continued to be the cultural and religious heart of the Armenian Church in America.  In the 1970s, a much larger church, the Saint Paul Armenian Church, was built to serve the still sizeable community.  Together the Holy Trinity Church and St. Paul Church are two of the most important Armenian Orthodox Churches in the country.

Visiting

The Holy Trinity Church was the first church building constructed specifically for use by the Armenian Orthodox Community.  Blending traditional Caucasus and turn-of-the-century American styles, it is one of the best examples of Armenian church architecture outside of the Middle East.  Its dark red brick with white trim makes it an iconic architectural standout of the neighborhood.  The church interior blends heritages, from Orthodox-style iconic pictures to Persian rugs.

(photo from Flickr)

(photo from Flickr)

The newer St. Paul Armenian Church is the cathedral for the Fresno Armenian community and the seat of the local bishop.  It is much larger than Holy Trinity, and while that church is in the turn-of-the-century style, the more modern St. Paul’s is more reminiscent of Armenian architecture of the Middle Ages, at least on the exterior.

The Holy Trinity Church is located in the heart of downtown Fresno, about 140 miles east of San Francisco, and is part of the Fresno historic district.  The St. Paul Armenian Chuch is in the suburbs about five miles to the north.  Both churches are open daily.  However, no visitor information was available at the time of this writing.  Web: www.holytrinityfresno.org (official website of Holy Trinity Church);  www.stpaulfresno.com (official website of St. Paul Armenian Church).

Filed Under: Oriental and Assyrian Orthodox Tagged With: US-California

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.