Once the Valley Music Theatre stood just above Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills. It brought great pride to residents in the West San Fernando Valley. The structure was sold to the Jehovah's Witnesses and later resold for apartment development. The Music Theater / Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witness was destroyed and lies under great swaths of plastic today.
Jehovah's Witnesses Assembly Hall - Postcard given to the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by Gary Fredburg 2010 - artifact 1600“Unique and beautiful in design, the California Valley Circuits Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses is located on a 8 1/3 acre site 2 block south of Ventura Freeway at 20600 Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, California, 91364.
The dome-shaped auditorium has circular/sloped seating for over 2800 persons arouind a large central stage.”
Interior of Jehovah's Witnesses Assembly Hall - Postcard given to the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by Gary Fredburg 2010 - artifact 1602"A 35-foot crown, representing the everlasting Kingship of Almighty God Jehovah is suspended above the stage as a centerpiece in the circular auditorium of the California Valley Circuits Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located between Winnetka and DeSoto offramps of the Ventura Freeway at 20600 Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, California, 91364."
Jehovah's Witnesses Assembly Hall - Postcard given to the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by Gary Fredburg 2010 - artifact 1601
"Wide ramps lead from 2 parking lots to this dome-shaped, floor to ceiling glass fronted entrance and lobby of the California Valley Circuits Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses at 20600 Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, California, 91364."
12 comments:
Thanks Gary, you're the best.
I live close to this former assembly hall location and was baptized there in 1984. Very sad to see that it was destroyed. I have many great memories attending the circuit assemblies here.
I attended the Assembly Hall there from 1982 (when I was baptized in their pool) until 1998. Loved how the "theater in the round" was preserved during the quarter-century (1979-2004) the Witnesses owned the property. The stage would rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise, allowing the speaker to see his entire audience during his discourse.
My second most important memory was how, just twelve days after the 17 January 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the I-5/Frwy 14 interchange reopened and our scheduled 29-30 January Circuit Assembly still went on despite some structural damage. We had almost sold the place for $10 million in order to buy a property near Eternal Valley funeral home, but the deal failed just weeks before the Quake, and we got FEMA funding to repair the damaged entrance. Good thing, we got $25 million a decade later and are using assembly halls in Mira Loma (built after the Quake), Norco and, 20 miles from where I now live, Escondido. It's too bad the Music Center auditorium has been destroyed, I miss that.
Where is the money?
Mr. Kurtz. You offend. The JW's are honest and trust worthy. You know nothing of their faith and teaching after all of your years with them. You should be ashamed of yourself saying this after all that was done for you... And of course they would have used the property to their advantage to further the work of preaching the good news. You would not have? You are a fool. Even the Bible says to use unrighteous riches if it is in the advantage of furthering the spreading of truth with all honesty and goodness. But of course it does not condone greediness. And if this is your charge, where is your proof? You underestimate the power of the truth. Be careful how you speak my friend, for you could find yourself in a most precarious position when the day of judgement comes... there are many, though be it few, righteous people still alive...most of whom belong to Jehovah...
This brought back horrific memories of my father dragging me to that place to listen to cult members scare everyone about the "end of the world". They sold it for a huge profit & pocketed away the $$$.
Wow, that was so elaborate with a revolving stage and crown. The Watchtower organisation are professionals at buying, building and selling real estate.
Does anyone have pictures of the assembly hall? Maybe baptismal photos?
Horrific memories?! Lame, some of the best memories.. sold it and pocketed $$$.. liar! It was rented from Bob Hope, he owned it not the JW's..people are delusional!! Making things up... Old drug days? Can't remember straight?!!
Yes horrific memories. Everyone is entitled to their opinion based on the memories they experienced. While some devout JW's may recall worshipping and enjoying their religious rights, many of us recall being dragged there as kids and being forced to sit through 8 hours of religious sermon after sermon for an entire weekend. it was a dreaded time for me and I am entitled to feel the way I felt back then and that in no way takes away from anyone else who enjoyed the practice of their religious freedoms. All of you who claim nobody can feel this way about the beloved truth needs to get over yourself and your intolerance.
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