California note
Rialto saved a 1907 church and turned it toward community use
Rialto's First Christian Church, now the Kristina Dana Hendrickson Cultural Center, is a saved 1907 landmark near the local history museum.
Rialto has a small preservation story right near downtown. The First Christian Church was built from 1906 to 1907, designed by H. M. Patterson, and later listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building could have disappeared. Instead, it was saved from demolition, passed through local preservation hands, and became the Kristina Dana Hendrickson Cultural Center. That gives Rialto a landmark that still sits close to ordinary civic life, not hidden away from town.
The nearby Rialto Historical Society helps the building make even more sense. Its museum and programs tie the church, the Bud Bender adobe, railroad growth, citrus years, Route 66, and local family stories into one small area around Riverside Avenue.
If you are already near Bud Bender Park or downtown Rialto, this is the next historic layer to look for. Confirm tour details before going, because access is not the same as walking into a regular public building.
Where to see it
Kristina Dana Hendrickson Cultural Center and Rialto Historical Society Museum near Riverside Avenue.
Sources
Sources for this story
Reviewed July 2, 2026
Public sources for the places, events, and details above.
Connected places
Open the local directory
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