Historic Wilshire church for sale

You don't see this every day, even in Los Angeles. A big ol' yellow Church For Sale sign, spotted Wednesday by Rob Eshman (click the pic to enlarge.) And not just any church. Wilshire Christian Church, at Normandie, was the first of the grand 1920s houses of worship still remaining to rise along the newly prominent Wilshire Boulevard. Designed by member Robert H. Orr, the Romanesque Revival church has a red-tile roof and campanile, plus a gorgeous rose window by the Judson Studios said to be copied from one in the Rheims cathedral. The church was built on land donated by Charles and Samuel Chapman, whose name is on the Chapman Market a few blocks east and on Chapman University in Orange. Graduations were held at the church before the move to Orange County.

The church was added in 1979 to the city's list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. Like most of the big Wilshire-area churches, it's available for filming.