The Occidental Community Church is the oldest building in Occidental. The spire and bell tower were added in 1888. After the 1906 earthquake, the tower was declared unsafe and was removed and replaced by a dome. The present tower and spire were rebuilt in 1976.

Occidental had a unique beginning. Nearby communities began with a saloon or a railroad station. “Boss” Meeker was a logging engineer who envisioned a town on the summit where the railroad would soon pass. Instead of building a general store or a post office or a railroad station or a saloon, Meeker built this church to attract people lived in the surrounding hills. He donated the land and milled the redwood lumber.

Source: Occidental Community Church website.