On South Street, just east of Harbor...

On South Street, just east of Harbor Boulevard, an old, English-village-style church called St. Michael’s Episcopal Church stands as a reminder of the neighborhood’s historic beginnings.

“Neighborhood people, out for a stroll, often stop at the church to meditate or just to enjoy the beauty of the building,” said Janet Wylie, administrative assistant at the church. “Everyone is always welcome to attend services, or just come by and visit, at our little church.”

The church was originally built in 1876 at Adele and Emily streets. By 1955, the church’s annual report described it as “bursting at the seams.” And understandably so. In 1944, the population of Anaheim was 11,000. By the time church officials, in anticipation of a population boom, bought the existing church site property in 1954, Anaheim’s population had doubled.

The steeple was pulled off the old church building and the foundation of the church was raised. Each piece was moved to its present site, fronting South Street between Lemon and Dickel streets. Not only did the church steeple survive the move, but the church’s stained-glass windows made the trip intact.

In addition to the windows, the roof is also of historical interest. Its peaked slope is shaped like an upside-down keel of a ship. The redwood timbers that shape the ceiling were cut north of San Francisco and shipped into Anaheim Landing. Oxcarts and horse-drawn wagons then carried the building materials from the landing in Seal Beach. A former cleric once declared the church the symbolic “Ship of Salvation,” there to carry the faithful over the seas of life.

According to the Rev. Gary Goldacker, who has been with the church for four years, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church is the second oldest church of any denomination in Anaheim.

“Of course, over the years the old neighborhood has changed,” he said. “Most members of the congregation no longer live in the immediate area. They’ve moved to Anaheim Hills or other outlying areas of Orange County.

“But, with strong family ties to St. Michael’s, this is still their neighborhood church. We have people driving all the way from Cypress and Corona, just to attend Sunday services.”

The sense of neighborhood carries over to the single family homes that now sit on lots where wine grapes and orange trees once grew. Barbara Gonzales, a real estate agent who has lived in the neighborhood for the last 10 years, said she was attracted to the older, well-established neighborhood because of the diversity of its residents.

“I like the mixture of people, economic backgrounds,” Gonzales said. “I found a warmth (here) not usually found in tract areas.

In the residential area on Citron Street, mothers can be seen chatting amiably as they walk their children down tree-lined streets to Ben Franklin Elementary School. Retirees trim lawns and prune rose bushes.

Nestled in the residential area--lining Harbor Boulevard between South and Santa Ana streets--are a few small law firms, real estate offices and family-owned businesses.

Right next to the neighborhood is an industrial area. Kwikset Corp., whose manufacturing and shipping plant takes up most of the available space on these blocks, makes the east Santa Ana Street address home.

It is just such diversity that attracts people to live and work in the neighborhood. However, it is the stability of St. Michael’s that provides Central Anaheim with a historical anchor.

Population Total: (1990est.) 2,628 1980-89 change: +14.0% Median Age: 31.9

Racial/ethnic mix: White (non-Latino), 59%; Latino, 37%; Black, 1%; Other, 3%

By sex and age: MALES Median age: 31.1 years FEMALES Median age: 32.8 years

Income Per capita: $10,740 Median household: $28,621 Average household: $30,043

Income Distribution: Less than $25,000: 46% $25,000-49,999: 36% $50,000-74,999: 14% $75,000-$99,999: 4% $100,000 and more: 1%