PreserveLA Weekly Update
January 2, 2006 - January 15, 2005
http://www.preservela.com
In this issue:
- Ambassador Hotel is Gone
- Barlow Hospital for Sale
- Los Angeles Railway Lecture
- Preservation Headlines
- History of the Tongva
- Eric Lynxwiler Interview
- What is a Powwow?
- More Preservation Headlines
- Glendale Historic Districts
- Ambassador Hotel 'Uh-ohs'
- USGS Public Lecture
- Exhibits & Events
Have news or putting on an event? Know of an historic resource that is threatened, lost, or has been saved? Be sure to let us know. With your help, we can get the word out to a much broader constituency - that and many of us are just plain interested!
Submit notices using the online form at: http://www.preservela.com/contact.html
Or send an email to editor@preservela.com .
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Ambassador Hotel is Gone
Its official. The historic Ambassador Hotel has been completely demolished. All that remains is a heap of rubble and what is left of a lonely Cocoanut Grove. There's not much else to say, its a sad sad day...
Visit The Ambassador's Last Stand for images of the once grand hotel's demise, and read the full L.A. Times article:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000794.html
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Barlow Hospital for Sale
Another treasured Los Angeles historic landmark may again be threatened with demolition sometime soon. The following is an email I recently received from Scott Fajack, President of the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park and Board Member and past President Echo Park Historical Society, concerning proposed plans for the historic Barlow Respiratory Hospital campus in Elysian Park.
Continue reading:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000792.html
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Los Angeles Railway Lecture
Interested in the history of Los Angeles' early railways and passenger stations? Josef Lesser will present a forty-minute powerpoint presentation tracing the history of Los Angeles passenger stations on January 19th, beginning with the city's first railroad station built in 1869 by the Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad Company through the construction of the Los Angeles Union Passenger Depot in 1939.
Event details:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000780.html
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Preservation Headlines
(Follow the link at the beginning or end of the section to view a full article. Free registration may be required. Some articles may expire or require a fee to read after one week has passed.)
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000786.html
Hall of Administration: County OKs relocation study
Downtown L.A. - "Los Angeles County supervisors took the second step Tuesday to repair or relocate the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration building by approving a $200,000 contract to study the space needs among seven proposals..."
20 hires to help clear backlog, tackle new challenges
Los Angeles - "A plan to add 20 positions to the city Planning Department is designed to clear a long-standing project backlog and look at long-term challenges..."
Griffith Park: 'A Poor Man's Disneyland?'
Los Angeles - "With a draft master plan in place, the majestic 4,107-acre Griffith Park is expected to undergo a series of transformations - which some critics say may destroy the largest urban park in the country..."
Salvaged elements are being used in restorations
Los Angeles - "Until recently, only the environmentally correct and very thrifty used architectural elements salvaged from historic buildings about to be torn down. Now, historic house parts are reclaiming the limelight that once made them glow, and they are being used as grace notes and focal points in brand-new houses and whole-house renovations of old buildings..."
A Cool Spot Is Now This Cold House
Highland Park - "It was the cool place to hang out in Los Angeles a century ago - a gathering spot for the likes of artist Frederic Remington, conservationist John Muir, composer John Philip Sousa and poet Carl Sandburg. These days the landmark Lummis House in Highland Park is more of a cold place to be stuck in..."
Weatherwolde Castle: House is now protected
Tujunga - "A well-known Sunland-Tujunga home that resembles an Irish castle gained Historic-Cultural Monument designation from the City Council on Friday. Without discussion, the council voted unanimously to grant the distinction to the Blarney Castle, making it more difficult to alter or destroy the building..."
75 years of dreams and struggle
San Pedro - "The Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro celebrates its 75th anniversary. It was one of six theaters planned by Jack, Harry, Albert and Sam Warner, the founders of Warner Bros. Studios..."
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000786.html
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History of the Tongva
The Tongva people - who were they, where were they, where are they now? On Tuesday, January 17, The Eagle Rock Association (TERA) is sponsoring a special presentation by Richard Toyon, Tongva tribal representative, who will provide an inside look at the native people of the Los Angeles area. He will explore where and how they lived before the arrival of Europeans, and will on where the tribe stands today.
Event details:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000791.html
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Eric Lynxwiler Interview
LAist.com recently featured an interesting and insightful interview with local preservationist Eric Lynxwiler. Eric is best known for his involvement with the Museum of Neon Art, including his fantastic nightime open-air bus neon tours of Los Angeles, and more recently as co-author of the book, "Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles," which featured prominently in the L.A. Conservancy's Curating the City program.
The interview (and a photo):
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000781.html
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What is a Powwow?
Join the members of Redbird, a 501(c)(3) Native American non profit association, at the organization's 2006 Children Of Many Colors Intertribal Powwow. Proceeds from the event benefit Redbird in the creation of the 'Strengthening The Circle' Native American 2006 Scholarship Fund.
In the simplest terms, a powwow is a Native American gathering that the public is welcome to attend. Powwows are a relatively new development in the history of indigenous people. They are a cultural adaptation to the confinement of reservations and the migration of Indians to urban areas.
Learn more:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000788.html
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More Preservation Headlines
(Follow the link at the beginning or end of the section to view a full article. Free registration may be required. Some articles may expire or require a fee to read after one week has passed.)
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000796.html
Beverly Hills' close-up? It looks different now
Beverly Hills - "In 1906, Burton Green and his wife named the land they purchased Beverly Hills, after Beverly Farms in Massachusetts. After construction of the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1912, the city gained popularity as a haven for celebrities..."
Glendale approaches its 100th anniversary of cityhood
Glendale - "One hundred years ago, Glendale rolled toward cityhood with a streetcar line that passed through open ranch land and stretched to its northern end at a bucolic tourist destination called Casa Verdugo..."
Landmarks Commission Mulls Changes to Parkhurst Building
Santa Monica - "The Landmarks Commission voiced concerns at its Monday night meeting over plans to modify the appearance of the landmark Parkhurst Building at 2940 Main Street..."
Ventura's Manager Demands 'Smart Growth'
Ventura - "The self-taught expert in urban redevelopment presses builders to focus on the community. His approach has touched a few nerves..."
This was the castle of the citrus kings
Rancho Cucamonga - "The fragrant scent of orange blossoms once wafted around this Craftsman/Colonial Revival manor, which citrus grower F.L. Bartholow built nearly a century ago. More than 1,200 orange and lemon trees shared the 10-acre property with the house in a community then called Etiwanda, now a part of the city of Rancho Cucamonga..."
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000796.html
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Glendale Historic Districts
In recent years, the City of Glendale has demonstrated a strong committment to preserving the architectural character of its historic neighborhoods through the creation of local historic districts. Neighborhoods such as Cumberland Heights, Adams Hill, Rossmoyne, Crescenta Valley area, and others rich in architectural style have all benefited from the combined efforts of city leaders, staff, and local residents.
Meeting dates and times:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000783.html
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Ambassador Hotel 'Uh-ohs'
Check out the latest news on the demolition of the Ambassador Hotel. It seems LAUSD has discovered there is more to demolishing the grand old structure than originally thought. Between hazardous materials abatement and a ripe deposit of underground methane gas, the 'rush' to break ground is being pushed back months and there is talk of the new construction project becoming even more expensive.
Perhaps this is a good time to mention that many consider historic preservation to be the greatest form of "green architecture". With the latest developments, it makes one wonder if the the abatement issues, the expedited time schedule, and our now fuller landfills could have been better served by a preservation solution...not to mention the more talked about issues of historical significance and sense of place.
A little old, but still news:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000787.html
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USGS Public Lecture
On Thursday, January 19th at 8:00 PM the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pasadena Office will continue their free Public Lecture Series. The next presentation, entitled "The San Jacinto Fault: Little Brother of the San Andreas", will be given by Dr. Katherine Kendrick of the USGS Pasadena Office.
Event details:
http://www.preservela.com/archives/000784.html
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Exhibits & Events
Select upcoming Preservation-related events:
- Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tours, Weekly
Los Angeles Conservancy, http://www.laconservancy.org
- Cultural Heritage Commission Meeting, January 5
City of Los Angeles, http://cityplanning.lacity.org/
- Angelino Heights Tour, January 21
Los Angeles Conservancy, http://www.laconservancy.org
- Lecture: "California Comes of Age: 1850-1900", January 21
Rancho Los Cerritos, http://www.rancholoscerritos.org/calendar.html
- Wilshire Blvd. Lecture, January 19th
Los Feliz Library, (323) 913-4710
- Casa del Mar Tour and Annual Meeting, January 29
Santa Monica Conservancy, http://www.smconservancy.org
- Living History Tours, January 29
Rancho Los Cerritos, http://www.rancholoscerritos.org/calendar.html
- Angelino Heights Tour, February 4 & 18
Los Angeles Conservancy, http://www.laconservancy.org
- USC Walking Tour, February 11
Los Angeles Conservancy, http://www.laconservancy.org
- 23rd Annual Conference, San Diego, February 17-19
California Mission Studies Association, http://www.ca-missions.org
- Lecture: "On Location: California, Painting, and Place in the American
Frontier", February 18
Rancho Los Cerritos, http://www.rancholoscerritos.org/calendar.html
- California Association of Museums Conference, February 21-24, 2006
http://www.calmuseums.org/cam2006/
- Lecture: Phillips Chapel and Black Santa Monica, February 26
Santa Monica Conservancy, http://www.smconservancy.org
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