The Little Tree Church in Tustin, CA

I had the opportunity to perform a wonderful infant baptism in Tustin this past week. Since I am a mobile officiant, I am able to visit various venues within Southern California. I was given the description “ a little church in the middle of it all”. It was just that. I loved the location so much, I thought that I would share it with you.

The Story of the Little Tree Church:
After we completed the construction of Jamestown Village in 1962, I was in a quandary as to what to do with the oak tree that used to stand at the corner of the barn before the buildings were demolished. Jamestown Village, incidentally, is the site of the old Crawford farm house.

I felt that I should do something special around this oak tree. Flowers? Everybody plants flowers. A tree house? No, kids would get hurt. Then my thoughts drifted back to my childhood in Columbia, Tennessee.

There back about 1912, I used to drive my grandmother, in a horse and buggy, six miles into the country once about every three months to the Hopewell Church that she attended before the Civil War. That gave me the idea, and the solution for the oak tree.

So the little tree church is actually Grandma’s church in miniature. But with the oak tree growing through the middle of it.

It seats eight people, has an organ. The pulpit is made of a large rock elevated on brick up to pulpit height.
The church is often used for weddings. The atmosphere here is more romantic than the large churches offer and the couple doesn’t have that big bill hanging over their heads to spoil the honeymoon.
--- C.T. Gilbreath – about 1970


The tree has since been removed, however, the charm of this little church has not changed. This was the perfect place to hold a baptism.

Need a place to hold your special event or wedding – this is it!