An earthquake nearly destroyed the building on March 10, 1933 The Long Beach earthquake of March 10, 1933, left the fairly new edifice in ruins and created further economic hardship. It being impossible to worship in the damaged church building, services were held first in a public park, and later in rented quarters at Tenth Street and Linden Avenue for a period of fifteen months. Financial problems of the post-earthquake period seemed almost insurmountable.