October 2016

October 2016 | ISSUE NUMBER 325 Another West Adams Ghost Lafayette Square West Adams Matters www.westadamsheritage.org Haunted west adams Lost Adams Preservation Matters Can a house really have a ghost? It's up to you to decide! 12 18 Art in West Adams A visit to the Batchelder Tile exhibit in Pasadena and more 24 20 The West Adams Matters newsletter is a publication of West Adams Heritage Association. Members and supporters of WAHA are invited to submit articles by contacting news@westadamsheritage.org. Letters and articles will be subject to space restraints and may be cut for length. Articles will be published subject to the editors. Advertising is subject to the approval of the publishers. Although WAHA appreciates its advertisers, the Association does not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Services and products are not tested and the appearance of advertising does not imply, nor does it constitute, endorsement by the West Adams Heritage Association. Copyright 2016. All rights for graphic and written material appearing in the newsletter are reserved. Contact the publisher for permission to reprint. 16 A special reprint of a Martin Weil article 10 Historic Kitchens Resources 27 Newsletter Staff WAHA membership includes:  * 10 issues of the West Adams Matters newsletter  * Invitations to all WAHA programs, parties, Evening Strolls,   and other activities, mostly free  * Discount on WAHA tours and advance notice of tours  * Membership Directory  * Special publications  * Membership card for discounts on services and products. Join online at http://www.memberwaha.org/amember/signup/index 7 Save trees! Opt for digital delivery only by emailing news@westadamsheritage.org Get your neighbors' recommendations for companies and individuals to keep your house in tiptop order Become a member (or renew) Ice Cream Social Join at any level: • Individual/Household $50 • Student/Senior $25 • Preservation Circle $100 • Heritage Circle $250 • Patron Circle $500 • Benefactor $1000 To pay by check, send the following information (Name(s), Address, Phone, and email along with your level of choice) with your check to: WAHA 2263 S. Harvard Boulevard Historic West Adams Los Angeles, CA 90018 4 Harvard Military School Holiday Tour A West Adams ghost story Where's A.J.'s Hat? John Patterson, Communications Chair Reggie Jones,  Publisher & Editor Suzanne Cooper,  Layout & Design Don Lynch,  Writer Upcoming Events 23 A West Adams Ghost Story Photos by Michael Smith embellished for Halloween by Suzanne Cooper Editor's note: The Halloween stories and pictures in this issue are strictly for fun. The ghosts were all created in PhotoShop to add a spooky note to the story. First let me preface this article by stating emphatically, under no circumstances do I believe in ghosts. Well, I didn’t believe in ghosts. I mean I still don’t believe ghosts. I do, but not the classic Hollywood ghost as portrayed in movies like Burnt Offerings, House on Haunted Hill, The Amityville Horror, or Poltergeist I, II and III, Poltergeist The Legacy, and Poltergeist (2015). No, those kinds of ghosts do not exist. Although, I believe there is . . . something. I know, because of the things my husband Greg and I experienced while living in Historic West Adams. It was October 1995 when we closed escrow on our Oxford Avenue home. We knew there was a possibility of a ghoul sharing our new-to-us old house, but in the excitement we didn’t give it much thought. Sure, the house was a wreck when we bought it. It hadn’t been updated since about mid-1920. It was completely original – light fixtures, oak floors, slash-grain pine woodwork, plumbing, electrical, the roof – all of it. But that was the charm. It was original! We also knew it had a recent unsavory past. But we weren’t concerned about the previous occupant coming to haunt us, because his brief and tragic life ended far away, in another city. Our initial encounter with the unexplained was the first day in our new home. That afternoon was warm and balmy. There was no breeze whatsoever. We’d just arranged the master bedroom and stood admiring our handy work; when out of nowhere a strong gust of wind blew open the front casement windows. Simultaneously, the double-hung window slammed shut, as did the door to the dressing room and the upstairs landing. Nearly every open door in the house slammed shut in an instant. Greg and I locked eyes, momentarily horrified, and then burst out laughing. Seriously? If we had to have a ghost, couldn’t they have been more original? Not so, well, cliché? I’m not sure if our specter took offense to our laughter, but it was a while before we’d hear from it. The haunting, if we can call it that, began slowly, incrementally, so that we didn’t realize what was happening, until it was happening. First, there were the doors firmly closed, the latches caught tight in the jams, which would mysteriously open; the doors which would slam shut; and the windows which would not stay open or closed. The house was filled with the usual creaks, groans, squeaks and pops. I rationalized all this as the house settling. We’d just had the foundation fortified, so naturally the house would settle. There were lights which would flicker off and on, and new light bulbs which would burn out after only a week. I rationalized this as an effect of combining a new electrical system with old fixtures. It made sense. The water pipes made horrible groans and banging noises as if they were in use, even when there was no water running anywhere. The toilets would flush of their own accord. We eventually replaced all the pipes, as well as the water main, but the problem persisted. It was just the new plumbing. New plumbing does that. The clear sound of someone walking up the stairs at odd times was obviously the dogs or cats. It was so loud that Greg and I would rush to the front door to see if someone had come in. Our cats, Jasmine and Cuddles, hated their new abode. They hated it with a passion. Scarcely a day would go by that we wouldn’t see them darting upstairs or downstairs, tails tucked between their legs, hair raised, ears flat, and hissing at some unseen thing. Again I rationalized. There must be a rodent in the walls. Eventually, we came to accept that we had an invisible visitor. We learned to live with it as commonplace, although it was unnerving. A lot of the paranormal activity (I hate to use the term) was centered in the master bedroom. First, there was the “Three Knocks.” As we were falling asleep Greg would be startled awake by this quintessential hallmark of a haunting. On the headboard he’d hear, Knock! Knock! knock! I’m a deep sleeper and I’m lucky to fall asleep quickly, so I rarely heard the disturbances. Greg would nudge me, “Did you hear that?” Sometimes I did, but would attribute it to noises outside, or the neighbors. Then there was the door to the dressing room. No matter how many times we checked and rechecked the door, we could not make it stay shut through the night. The door knob would violently rattle and shake, and then eeerrr, the door would open. A doorstopper wouldn’t even keep it closed. Once we left it open on purpose, only to find it closed when the sun came up. Because our house was close to a busy intersection, we slept with a sound machine that made white noise. Often it would emit strange voices, waking us up. The sounds were ethereal and haunting. As Greg would be just at the point of falling asleep, he’d hear the white noise change pitch, softly rising and falling to the rhythm of his own breathing. When he’d hold his breath, he’d hear the sound still rising and falling for a second or so until it realized Greg had stopped. Then it would stop. When Greg resumed breathing, the sound machine resumed its mimicry. For the majority of our seven years on Oxford these things were the most constant signs that our ghost wanted us to know it was there. For me this was more a curiosity, because I slept more soundly and tend to rationalize; it was much scarier for Greg. He heard and saw these things more often, which caused him many sleepless nights. At first we didn’t tell anyone we had a ghost. Rather, a friend staying one weekend told us. He went down to the kitchen for a drink of water late at night. He heard a noise from the speaking tube which connected to the upstairs landing. When he got closer he heard his name, “Dean! Dean! Dean!” Thinking we were playing a prank on him, he quickly looked up the service stairs to the landing, but no one was there. We were all asleep. I believe it was the last time he stayed with us. Our nephews, then about 5 and 6, refused to go into the main bathroom alone. They’d only go together, or with their mom guarding the door. They couldn’t tell us why, but we could see the terror in their eyes. A few years into the restoration we rented a room to our friend Dan. That winter was cold and rainy. He caught the flu and was in bed for several days. He approached us after and asked if we had a ghost. We initially denied it, but he would have none of that. He insisted we did. He said that when he was sick he could feel a hand comforting him, stroking his forehead and running fingers through his hair. He said it made him feel better and gave him strength to fight the flu. While researching the house’s history we discovered it was built for Charles Clifford Gibbons in 1903. He was the secretary of J.M. Hale’s dry goods store, which had the slogan, “Good Goods!” Apparently business was good. In 1903 he and his wife, Belle Case (her real name), were able to move from a cottage on Bonsallo, to a larger house in The Heights. He didn’t get to enjoy it for very long. He died in 1910 after a prolonged illness. According to records he laid in state for three days in the living room. I’m not sure how we came to know this, but it’s our belief that during his sickness he stayed in the room Dan rented. Dan also told us he’d had an incident on the stairs. He was on his way to the kitchen and missed one of the steps near the top. He was beginning to fall and he knew he was going to seriously injure himself. He said it was the oddest feeling to know you’re falling and not be able to stop yourself. But then at the last moment he felt himself being righted. Unseen hands steadied his shoulder and back, while guiding his foot to the next step. From that moment on we began to think of our ghost differently – not as a friend perhaps, but not as a threat either. Whereas before I’d secretly been afraid of high places in the house, now I was less inclined to worry. One day I was high up on a ladder stripping wallpaper in the stairwell, and I remember thinking it was terrible idea. Usually at that point the predictable happens. Crash-Boom! But that day I was uncharacteristically calm, 19 feet in the air, balancing on one leg and reaching out to the farthest corner, on an unsecured ladder propped at an odd angle, on a polished wood floor. I can’t say absolutely that our ghost held the ladder steady for me, but it sure felt that way. Restoring our house meant stripping away the layers, and bringing it back as close to original as possible. Under the stained and torn wallpaper we discovered original wall colorings and matched them as best we could. We designed velvet drapes and portieres for the living room and dining room. As we continued our efforts, the paranormal activity increased. It either didn’t like the changes, or was pleased with them. We couldn’t tell which. In 1999, our neighborhood, West Adams Heights, was honored to host the WAHA Annual Holiday Tour. Our house was to be the appetizer house. Sometime in October the tour committee met at our place to go over details of the event, which included showing all of them around our place. As we led the group up the stairs we all heard a loud snap! We turned toward the sound in time to see a picture fly off the wall and strike one of the committee members on the shoulder. The picture didn’t just drop as gravity would pull it, but fell out from the wall about two feet. Upon inspection we discovered no defect in the picture’s wire, and the hook was still fastened securely to the wall. There was no reason for it to fall, and no way it could have fallen on its own. The committee member who’d been struck looked up at us and said, “I heard about your ghost, and it seems it doesn’t like me.” During November of 1999 I took some time off before the holiday tour to finish the last bedroom. I was stripping wallpaper and prepping the plaster for painting when I heard the unmistakable sound of someone coming up the stairs. I thought Greg had come home from work early and called out to him, “Is that you Greg?” Nothing. Then our cat Cuddles suddenly sprinted across the landing, looking for a good place to hide. I knew what had happened and who was responsible. I don’t know what possessed me that afternoon, but I was furious. How dare this thing terrorize our cat! I did not want this ghost in our home anymore. I set down the scraper and walked out into landing and yelled, “I don’t know who you are, but you are not welcome here. This is our house now. You need to go into the light, or wherever you need to go. But you cannot stay here!” I felt like an idiot screaming at an empty room, but I carried on like that for some time. When I was done I was hoarse and exhausted, like I’d physically wrestled with the ghost. When Greg came home he immediately noticed a difference. Something had changed in the atmosphere. It was fresher, cleaner, and oddly empty. At times I almost regret sending this specter on his way. We’d become used to having the house feel as if there were others present, even when it was just Greg and me. We almost missed feeling that constant ominous and sometimes comforting presence. That first night without our ghost – and all the nights until we moved a year later – there was no knocking on the headboard and the dressing room door stayed shut. The new owners report no signs of any paranormal activity as well. But then again, I don’t believe in ghosts. WAHA’s Holiday Tour committee is excited to announce the selection of Western Heights for this year’s upcoming Progressive Dinner Tour. Not visited in this capacity since 2003, the diversity of this neighborhood was one of the motivations for its selection. This year’s “theme” is being developed to celebrate the multi-cultural, ethnic and diverse nature of West Adams –both historically, and even more importantly, as a vibrant community today. As an expression of the rich fabric of our community, we have begun outreach efforts to the wide variety of restaurants in our neighborhoods to provide inspiration – and hopefully recipes – for each of the courses along the progressive dinner route. Several homes along 20th and 21st streets adjacent to Gramercy have been approached, with special care being taken to find homes that have not been previously featured on a WAHA tour. If you live in that area, and have not yet received an invitation letter – either in person or at the most recent neighborhood meeting – please don’t hesitate to contact the committee to express your interest in participating. That also means it’s time to grab hold of those coveted volunteer assignments. Be it House Captain, Shepherd, kitchen, server or docent, you all know the army required to produce WAHA’s biggest fundraising effort of the year. Please contact: John Patterson communications@westadamsheritage.org A West Adams Ghost Story (continued) Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who made the Living History Tour at Angelus Rosedale come alive! A full list of volunteers and pictures from the tour will be included in next month's newsletter. Michael S. Smith is a former Historic West Adams resident, currently residing in an historic downtown loft. He and his husband Greg Stegall are amateur California historians with a passion for the West Adams community. In 1910 banker and residential developer George L. Crenshaw planned Lafayette Square (known simply as The Square) as an elegant residential park. Now a gated community, St. Charles Place is the only street that allows vehicles to enter and exit. A monument announces Lafayette Square, and a tree-lined, landscaped median intersects all four streets: Victoria Avenue, Wellington Road, Virginia Road, and Buckingham Road. Early buyers were encouraged to create mansions of diverse styles such as Italianate, Craftsman, Spanish Revival and American Colonial Revival. There were tennis courts, swimming pools and “ballrooms” that were actually speakeasies built when Prohibition was in full swing. Throughout its history The Square has never lacked its share of the rich, famous, talented and notorious residents. But the most outstanding component of The Square’s history is the impact of residents who dedicated themselves to its preservation, starting in the late 1970s. In the beginning they had to ward off realtors who were advertising Lafayette Square as a perfect place for board and care facilities. The residents, new and old, drew a line in the sand and commenced to build community awareness and pride. Their most obvious achievement was the placement of the gates surrounding The Square and obtaining HPOZ status. Passion, hard work and foresight have played an important part in the Lafayette Square as we know it now. L.A. Magazine voted Lafayette Square one of the ten best neighborhoods in L.A. in 2004. In 1981 they described it as a small enclave that is peaceful and tranquil. And so it is. by Ellen Farwell Photos: Reggie Jones Neighborhood Spotlight Resources Suzie Henderson was a founding member of WAHA and is the current Events Chair. Happy Fall. It is time to get busy on projects before the holiday season and we have some great services to recommend this month. I had a friend visiting from out of town who had a luggage malfunction. He found an excellent nearby repair shop. Andy reports that the owner is very friendly, has reasonable rates and he does good work. He also was able to do the repair in just a few hours. The shop has leather and other material on hand to do almost anything you would want with a shoe or piece of luggage. Eletea Shoe Remodeling, Michael Jung, 213-382-4427, 681 S. Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90005. Audrey Arlington writes to recommend Ramon Contreras, who is doing the wood (windows, doors, floors) renovation for an important, visually prominent house on the northeast corner of W. 30th/St. Andrews. He invited her in to show off his work and she says it is really great. Per his business card, he is a licensed general contractor. His contact information is 818-632-1896, ramon@casacolonialrenovation.com, www.casacolonialrenovation.com, 541 N. Lomita Street, Suite D, Burbank, CA 91506 . Thank you to Carmen for several helpful referrals. LA Paint, Steve Miller, painted her house in 2002 and did another excellent job, just recently. She says, "I recommend him to anyone in WAHA. He can be contacted at 818-669-0163. You may have to leave a message. He did my house in 4 colors and it looks great." She also said, that she recently had a roofing problem and contacted one of her husband's clients, R. Haupt Roofing Construction, Inc. Robert Haupt, Jr. came right out and gave her a reasonable quote, then came back and did the work in one day. She was happy with his service. They are in Gardena at 310-679-6767. I have had requests for a hardwood floor refinisher. My long time recommendations have retired, so I was pleased to see that Kendall on Westmoreland Boulevard wrote on Nextdoor.com (a great resource) that Victor at New West Floors, 323-937-3884, saved her old floors and is "wonderful." I have been happy with all the positive feedback about renewing this column. I look forward to hearing about your great recommendations and stern warnings at westadamsgoddess@aol.com. Jean Frost is the current Preservation Committee Chair. Contact her at preservation@westadamsheritage.org. Light is a symbol and a visual image which stirs and inspires us. There is a reason stained glass windows grace religious institutions, allowing light to flow through the panes, illuminating the interiors The symbolism became concrete recently at the relighting of the neon sign at the Union Theater. WAHA’s Preservation Committee under the leadership of Roland Souza and Jim Childs participated in the Los Angeles International Neon Jubilee held on September 10 at the historic Union Theatre at 1122 W. 24th Street. The event was organized and sponsored by Sara Velas and the Velaslavasay Panorama, the current stewards of the Union Theater. Fun was had by all as WAHA member Suzie Henderson brought her grandchildren and member Celeste Hong schmoozed with the revelers. There was a fluffy dog marionette that charmed the crowed. The cause for celebration was the relighting of the restored Tru-A Neon Sign Company’s 1939 neon Union Theater marquee sign. The Union Theater was a local neighborhood cinema. For years the Union Theater screened films and the marquee advertised them. Senior Wahonians may cherish the many hours spent in revelation at local cinemas where films like The Philadelphia Story amused us The Union Theater closed its doors as a cinema with the advent of television and, like many vacant spaces, it fell into disrepair. Then, in 2005, the Velaslavasay Panorama, tossed from its Hollywood venue, discovered the Union Theater in University Park and the restoration began. It is yet another fine example of adaptive reuse of a historic building. It now houses the only 360 degree panorama viewing hall on the West Coast. It is an artist-driven institution that unites both local and global community groups. The Neon Jubilee was one such unifying event. The day began at noon as participants set up their tents and tables. There were free workshops by the Echo Park Film Center, a shoe give away by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s staff, a NANDC (the Empowerment Congress North Area Neighborhood Development Council—the neighborhood council surrounding USC ) outreach booth, NANDC member David Tool promoting neighborhood emergency preparedness, a lecture on neon art by J. Eric Lynxwiler of the Museum of Neon Art, and performances by puppeteers of Bob Baker’s Marionettes. The Bob Baker Marionette Theater is the longest running puppet theater in the United States and holds an inventory of more than 3,000 marionettes. There were live music performances by an acoustic threesome of Frank Fairfield, Tom Marion and Meredith Axelrod playing traditional music and Turkish Sez, a pop/rock/blues band. Students from Oakwood School (North Hollywood) were marketing crafts created by the indigenous women of San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, made of their legendary wool. There were purses, backpacks and stuffed animals. I bought a small purse and a stuffed armadillo as a memento of this jubilatory occasion. The LA Rollers, a dance and skating group, who have been together since the 1980s, skated and presented part of their work-in-progress documentary. One of their traditional skating venues is the outside of the soon-to-be-demolished historic Los Angeles Sports Arena. A steady stream of visitors celebrated the re-lighting of the marquee. WAHA’s table featured the upcoming “Living History Tour,” its newsletters, two petitions, and display panels on two preservation issues: One was the motion by Marqueece Harris-Dawson to include the “six orphan blocks” into the University Park HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.) It was a fitting place for such a display, since our tent was on the north side of the street which had preservation protections, yet directly across from us, the south side of 24th Street, did not. The area where the Union Theater is sited does not have any HPOZ design review. WAHA also had a second panel display regarding the I-110 Flyover Transitway to Figueroa Way and 23rd Street. Caltrans is proposing a 50 foot high cement elevated Transitway right next door to St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, spending 45 million dollars to move traffic two blocks. WAHA (as expressed in previous newsletters) is actively working with a coalition of community and preservation groups to oppose this project. So many people were interested in these issues and the history of the neighborhood. Some were residents who moved away but still had family members here. Others were from outside the area and were amazed at all of the work that WAHA has undertaken for so many years. It was also a great opportunity to be side by side with Council District 8 staff, and other community members, and be able to provide them with information from our newsletters on the I-110 Flyover and the Interim Control Ordinance Motion for the “six orphan blocks,” as well as WAHA’s many other activities. It was a delight to observe Council staff reading our newsletter as they presented shoes to kids under their tent. What a pleasure to be at a joyous event! So often we need to be at contentious hearings and difficult meetings. Another recent celebratory event was the ground blessing on August 22nd for the restoration of the historic Casa de Rosas campus by WARD Economic Development Corporation under the leadership of Jackie Dupont-Walker and Integral Development LLC under the direction of Dalila Sotelo for housing for homeless veterans with children. More information to come in future Newsletters. Enjoy these moments and prepare for the hard work ahead. Doesn’t some developer want to demolish eight historic buildings on Flower Drive in a California Register District? And another developer wants to build an incompatible small lot subdivision of 4 town homes in the North University Park specific plan….Hmmm. Photos: Jean Frost Preservation Matters The Haunted Bedroom Midnight is generally the time when spirits of the undead wreak havoc on the nerves of the living. But, in a little cottage in the twenty-six hundred block of Longwood Avenue, the bewitching hour is 9:25 p.m. It is then that the lights in one of the bedrooms switch on and off, and a cool breeze mysteriously blows through unopened windows. At first Viola Jaggers pooh-poohed her sister-in-law's reports of strange noises and cold drafts in the uninhabited bedroom. "I have never believed in ghosts and that sort of thing, and I always laughed when Edith told me of hearing strange noises and feeling cold drafts in that room, so I decided to prove once and for all that there was nothing to her fears." So, on Friday, November 8, 1946, armed only with her disbelief in the supernatural, Viola entered the room. She said, "I went into the room, shut the door and turned off the light. In a few minutes the window was lit up by soft light -- like moonlight. Then I saw the face of a big man looking at me through the window. He smiled, but didn't speak. I was terror stricken and ran from the room." Viola, disbelieving what she had seen, pressed her husband Frank to return with her to the bedroom. Surely with Frank in tow nothing would happen. Even Edith felt emboldened enough to stand in the doorway. According to Viola, "We turned off the light. In a moment or so we saw another face at the window. In the face there were holes where the eyes should have been. It was the face of a dead man. I can't describe how I felt." Even Edith was shocked. "This was the first time I ever saw a face at the window, but in the four years I have lived here hardly a night has passed but what something queer goes on in that room. Nobody will sleep in there. My dog nearly goes mad when I lock her in there. Several people have tried to sleep in there, but they either say it’s stifling hot or freezing cold." Sight and sound weren't the only senses assaulted by the specter. Edith reported, "The sweet of odor of gardenias sometimes fills the room until it becomes almost sickening. And yet there are no gardenia bushes in the neighborhood." Viola was so unnerved by her experience that she quit her job as a grocery clerk. What groceries have to do with ghosts is unclear. However, if you find yourself in line at the check-out counter of the local market and a ghostly man with no eyes appears, you may want to let him go ahead of you. Happy Halloween! John Kurtz can be reached at president@westadamsheritage.org. Joan Renner is an L.A.-based writer, lecturer, and social historian with an expert knowledge of historic Los Angeles crime. For more vintage Los Angeles mayhem, visit her blog, Deranged L.A. Crimes (www.derangedlacrimes.com). Editor's note: There will be no President's Message this month because John Kurtz was out of the country on an inspection tour looking for adaptive reuses applicable to the 20th Century architecture and, we hope, having a lovely vacation. President's Message UPCOMING waha EVENTS Abandoned West Adams hospital becomes an art gallery L.A. Curbed reported on a new adaptive reuse: "An abandoned West Adams hospital is getting a new (but temporary) lease on life as an art space. For the next two months, the former Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center building on Western near the 10 Freeway will be filled with Human Condition," says the LA Weekly. Read the article here and go check out what's happening in West Adams! See pictures on the West Adams Art page. Saturday, November 19, 2016 2:00 p.m. Batchelder:Tilemaker Exhibit Come admire beautiful tile when WAHA meets at the Pasadena Museum of History’s exhibit, Batchelder: Tilemaker. WAHA has also arranged a tour of the Fenyes Mansion where the museum is housed. For more information about the exhibit, the museum’s website is http://pasadenahistory.org/all-exhibits/batchelder-tilemaker/ Please RSVP to westadamsgoddess@aol.com before November 10th. There are many lovely restaurants in the area if you and your friends want to have  lunch before the tour. Classified Ads —————————————————————————————————————————— To have your classified ad placed in this newsletter, please send your proposed ad to news@westadamsheritage.org no later than the first of the month prior to the month of publication of the ad. WAHA Member Alert! The 2016 L.A. Historic Neighborhoods Conference is Saturday, October 15th. This is a great opportunity to meet residents of other Los Angeles neighborhoods who are also involved in historic preservation and to share knowledge of what’s happening with historic preservation. This is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Preservation and the Los Angeles Conservancy. Click on the flyer for more information or click here to register. Events around town Monday, October 17, 2016 Pizza Rev Fundraiser Delectable pizza, made to order! 20% of your purchase will help support WAHA Wilshire Ebell Many of the early members and founders of the Ebell of Los Angeles were West Adams women. Hear their stories at the Charter Day lunch on Monday, October 24, 2016 while volunteer models show antique clothing from the Ebell’s costume collection. $25 for Ebell members, $35 for the general public. Tickets are available at http://www.ebelleventtickets.com Lost Adams Don Lynch often contributes to West Adams Matters, and is the co-author of the book "West Adams" which is available for purchase through WAHA. Ice Cream Social Among the many films starring Academy Award winning actress Ginger Rogers was the 1943 wartime drama, “Tender Comrade.” The story centers around four employees of Douglas Aircraft whose husbands are away fighting in World War II. Over lunch one day they realize that while each is barely getting by while renting a small apartment or room in Los Angeles, they can pool their rent money for a grand total of $93, share one car, and as a result they are able to rent a large home on Adams Boulevard and hire a full-time housekeeper. What’s interesting is that in producing the film RKO studios did not disguise the home’s address. It was located at 957 West Adams, at the corner of Toberman, in an area known as the Dockweiler tract. No building permit appears to exist for the house, but the original owner was apparently William T. Johnson, a wealthy merchant from Chicago. The Los Angeles Herald of April 26, 1891 announced that the Johnsons, who had spent several seasons in Pasadena, would be returning in the fall for the purpose of living in Southern California. The house first appears in the 1892 city directory, and the Johnsons, together with their two unmarried daughters, were the occupants. The Johnsons remained in the house only a few years before returning to Chicago as their primary residence. Their daughter Mabel married a surgeon from Constantinople in 1896, and they would eventually live with her. After her husband’s death, however, Kate Johnson would return to Los Angeles and live on North Gramercy. Several prominent people subsequently rented the home, including an elderly Melissa Barbee and her son, and William S. Hook, who would later purchase a home across from the Britt Mansion at Adams and Gramercy. Over the years the city directory listed a number of people at the address under various domestic occupations. One such domestic was Soo Hoo Ling, a cook and waiter who, on his way to night school in October of 1899, was struck and killed by a streetcar. His body was identified by the home’s chief cook, and Ling’s cousin, Soo Hoo How. The two cousins were employed by one of the more prominent residents of the house, United States Senator Thomas R. Bard. One of the organizers of Ventura County, where he maintained a residence at Port Hueneme, Bard had extensive oil interests and was a founding board member of Occidental College. The house at 957 Adams was rented from the Johnsons while he served his senatorial term. He occupied it with his wife, seven children, and three servants. While the Bards lived in the house they experienced two burglaries which were particularly puzzling. The first occurred in May of 1901 while Senator and Mrs. Bard were attending a nearby reception for President McKinley. The other occurred that December. In both instances ladies’ purses were taken, emptied of their valuables, and left at the same spot on the porch. The Los Angeles Times implied that it was an inside job, perhaps by a servant, as the perpetrator knew where to find the purses, knew the layout of the house, and left no visible signs of entry. It specifically mentioned that the only man in the house was the Chinese cook. In August of 1906 it was announced that Mrs. Johnson was selling the home. The article described it as having fourteen rooms on a lot of 80 by 260 feet, and stated that it was “one of the finest homes on West Adams street.” It was “highly improved with fine shrubbery, palm and rare trees.” The sale price was $14,250, and the purchaser was none other than Isidore Dockweiler, whose name was attached to the housing tract on which the house was built. The Dockweiler family stayed the longest in the home, and made some improvements, including adding a dormer, enlarging a back room, adding a garage, and then enlarging the garage. When Isidore Dockweiler moved on to his next home he did not sell the property, but kept it and turned it into a rooming house. A fire escape was added in 1927, which was perhaps for the best as in 1943, about the time it appeared in “Tender Comrade,” a fire broke out and damaged the structure. Finally, the home entered the realm of “Lost Adams” when it was sold to a construction company, and in 1960 was torn down and replaced with a large apartment building. “One of the finest homes on West Adams street” was now gone, as are many of the Victorian era homes along that stretch of the boulevard. But like many of the homes in West Adams, it was immortalized on film. Well, the exterior anyway. The interior was clearly a sound stage. Photo courtesy of Bison Archives. Photos: Frank Cooper Editor’s note: This story by Joe Ryan was first run in May 1997. It is reprinted here in its entirety. As residents of our beloved West Adams we must continually remind ourselves that the glorious buildings and homes we treasure and strive to preserve are only a tattered remnant of what "once was. ”To gain a perspective on our neighborhood’s marvelous heritage we can begin with the first educational institution founded in our area, the University of Southern California. At the time of its founding, in 1880, Bunker Hill and Figueroa were the focal points of high style living in Los Angeles. Los Angeles county's population was only 33300. St. Vincent’s College, near the original Pueblo, was the sole institution of higher learning. Although a Catholic college, it was attended by students of all faiths. USC, a government school, as it was called back then, was built on donated rural ground surrounded by scattered orchards and cattle ranches. The notion of “West Adams” did not originate until the late 1880s. Figueroa Street was a posh residential street, lined with grand Victorian houses reaching as far as Adams Boulevard and spreading out along West Adams Boulevard from Main Street to St. James Park. These grand and often ostentatious Victorian houses grew larger and larger as they approached West Adams Boulevard with some of the largest on the Boulevard itself. Today’s Stimson Mansion, on Figueroa just north of West Adams Boulevard, is the only remnant of that era. Its survival is more likely due to its sturdy red sandstone structure rather than to its size, as many demolished wood-shingled Victorians were much larger. In 1891 a rail-based horse drawn street car reached all the way south from the city center to USC. The elegant St. James Park and soon to be built First Christ Scientist church were on the tourist circuit call the “Route of a Thousand Wonders.” The “Wonders” included exotic plantings and the enormous fig tree (extant) in St. James Park, along with the enormous dome of the First Christ Scientist, an engineering marvel of its time. These sites, along with others, were sought out by every tourist and newcomer to the city. Tens of thousands of full color postcards of these two attractions were sent all over the globe by wide-eyed visitors to Los Angeles. Between 1890 and 1900, with the competing train routes, the city population boomed, almost doubling from 101,454 to 170,298. By this time the name West Adams had become synonymous with wealth and the good life. No other street could claim the same panache that a West Adams Boulevard address could. The carriage trade vied for property and addresses for their grand adobes far to the west of Figueroa. The western edge of the city was then, as now, considered the most desirable climate. Interestingly, educational institutions preceded residential growth in West Adams, as schools sought a more pastoral and suburban environment. It was a widely held belief that open spaces and clean air were the most desirable attributes for the new schools. The inexpensive bean fields on a high plateau near the city’s boundary on Western Avenue now attracted the attention of educational entrepreneurs. "The land is high, dry , breezy and beautifully situated as to scenery. The Cahuenga Valley (read Wilshire to Hollywood), with the Sierra Madre Mountains as a background, affords a scenic view unsurpassed in Los Angeles.” Thus read a brochure for The Harvard Military School shortly after its founding in 1900. Residential development had not yet reached this far west. The only neighborhood development included a few old ranch houses, Rosedale Cemetery (founded in 1884), and the Los Angeles Country Club. The Los Angeles Country Club’s well established golf links were the first of their kind in Southern California (now Country Club Park, north of Pico and west of Western). The club had already moved twice: from Alvarado Terrace, to Pico and Normandie (near Rosedale Cemetery), then to 107 acres at Pico and Western, and finally to Brentwood in 1911. Harvard Military School was built on 15 acres of land, facing Western Avenue, with 213 ft. of the property flanked on the north by 16th Street, which is today Venice Boulevard. It covered the area today occupied by the Food-4-Less and Sav-On shopping center, on the southwest comer of Western and Venice. The first buildings to be erected were Harvard Hall, the school proper, and Rugby Hall, the administrative building. Its buildings were designed by the noted architects, Arthur B. Benton, and the then very young, John C. Austin. Arthur B. Benton, most noted for the Mission Inn in Riverside, also designed the Mary Andrew Clark Memorial Home, and the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium. John C. Austin would later go on to design the Shrine Auditorium, St. Vibiana's face-lift facade, St. Paul’s on Washington Boulevard, and to participate in the team that built today’s City Hall. The school’s brochure goes on to say, “.. Charles F. Lummis, City Librarian of Los Angeles, was consulted by them in the arrangement of the buildings, in consequence of which the Mission style of architecture, introduced by the Spanish padres in the 18th century, has been faithfully preserved. ” This might be a little over stated, but as the accompanying photographs show, the buildings are very large and attractively spaced around the property. Much of the expansive lawn was used as parade grounds. This was definitely a military boarding school, complete with reveille in the early morning, uniforms, drills throughout the day, and taps in the evening. The school officially opened September 24,1900. It was an instant full enrollment success, with an initial tuition capacity for 150 pupils. Harvard Military School’s purpose “is intended to fit a boy for college, for the technical schools, for the government schools and for a business career. Whatever course a boy chooses, it is intended that he shall be taught thoroughly the rudiments of the English language. He shall learn how to spell correctly, to read intelligently, to cipher accurately, and to write easily a respectable letter. Physical culture is a leading feature of instruction, good morals are kept constantly in view and courtesy and gentlemanly deportment are at all time enforced.” Harvard Hall, the original school building, served as both a Grammar school (grades 6-8) and a High School. Soon applicants far exceeded the enrollment capacity. Within six years a new Harvard Hall was erected. It was a massive two story stone faced brick building with oak paneled interiors. It had a mission tiled roof and a full 10 ft. basement. It was a very costly building and for its time used “state-of-the-art” construction. Harvard Hall was an imposing ivy covered building that dominated Western Avenue, in spite of its deep setback. The main floor housed the library, an assembly- hall seating 400, and classrooms on the upper floors. Its enormous basement housed the quartermaster’s offices, locker rooms for the day students, a tailor shop, gymnasium, indoor track, and a bicycle room. The original Harvard Hall was renamed Junior Hall for the sole use as the Grammar School. Rugby Hall housed the expansive one and a half story dining room, with rustic crossed beam ceiling and enormous Mission chandeliers. The boys sat at linen covered tables set for eight, arranged in single banks, along each side of the hall. The headmaster's table was at the far end of the dining room. The brochure promised, “ Each boy will be provided with a single room and a single bed, in the belief that this plan is the safest.” With an increasing enrollment, additional dormitories were added during the early years. Arnold Hall, a three story Mission style building, provided rooms for an additional 35 boys, and later a wing was added to further enlarge the resident capacity. With these additions, the capacity was raised to 450 students. On Memorial Day the entire student body in full dress uniforms, led by the battalion band, would march down Washington Boulevard to Rosedale Cemetery. Drills and parading frequently took place on Western Avenue and surrounding streets. Soon after the school was established the Santa Monica street car line extended along the northern boundary (16th Street) of the campus. This line was to become part of the “Balloon Route”, so named for its shape on the tourist-trade route map which looked somewhat like a hot air balloon. The Balloon Route originated downtown and came west past Harvard Military School and on to the beach. It then returned through present day Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles. The alumni roles of Harvard Military School read like the Blue Book for the elite of Los Angeles during its years in West Adams. The most notable graduate was J. Paul Getty, who was a day student as his parents lived nearby on the comer of Wilshire and Normandie. In 1911 founder Dr. Emery sold the school to Bishop J. A. Johnson of the Episcopal Church. In 1914 the son of the Bishop designed a two-story Mission style chapel, which was roughly styled after the San Gabriel Mission. By the 1920s the school was completely surrounded by the city. By then the newer areas of Westwood and Bel-Air were coming into vogue. Enrollment had been dropping off for several years as West Adams began to lose its appeal to the newer areas of Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, and Beverly Hills. In 1921 the enrollment was down to 268. By 1926 the Harvard Board of Directors, “were at a crossroads. Facing it were two alternatives: to remain as it was or to grow with the city.” They chose the latter and bought a piece of property in Westwood for future development. Four years later the Depression hit and the property in Westwood was lost. In 1931 attendance had slipped to 222 enrollees and by 1936, only 120 students were enrolled in the once prestigious school. The Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, whose Board of Directors had years before moved out of their estates in West Adams, foreclosed on the school in 1937. The same year the school purchased 22 acres in Sherman Oaks on Coldwater Canyon. The Harvard Military School reorganized and moved to this new location, where it remains today. All of the school’s architecturally significant buildings were abandoned except for the least significant, the 1914 chapel. It was cut into sixteen pieces and hauled down Venice Boulevard to Sepulveda. The chapel was then carted over the mountains to Coldwater Canyon where it is still in use. In 1969, the school dropped the word “Military” from its name, as well as the uniforms. Eventually the school became coeducational. When this writer feels disconnected by the ills and sounds surrounding his period but modem inner-city residence, he can close his eyes, and imagine hearing the tapping of drums from Harvard Military School at the end of the street and the sharp crack of golf balls from across the Country Club green. And who knows, when he opens his eyes, he may just see J. Paul Getty walking down Manhattan Place on his way home from school. Editors note: Brian Ellenberger correctly guessed that AJ’s Hat was in the Hi The Harvard Military School: A History So if you think you know where AJ’s hat is in the picture AND you are a WAHA member and want a chance to get your hand on the prize, email your answer to me at news@westadamsheritage.org before October 15th. Only one entry per member allowed. And sorry WAHA Board members - you’re not eligible to win the prize. Where's AJ's Hat? This month's answer: Gjusta, with a dessert stop at Dolcenero. Time to pull up your Stickley and suffer through another edition of "WAHA Dudes Do Dinner," a monthly chronicle of West Adams guys gathering to eat, talk, walk, and repeat. We're three issues into this without one fistfight or deep tissue injury. Where did I go wrong? The dudes in attendance this time are Adam, Dave, Louis, and yours foolishly, AJ. Before we even get started Dave calls to say he'll be late because of a Genius Bar appointment. Lucky him. How fun it is to stand in front of a smarmy 20-something who scolds you for not buying Apple Care before disappearing in the back to help count the company's billions. So, I swing by Adam's house to hear the plan. "Take the 10 west, we're picking up Louis. And leave the windows open. I want to take in the cool evening air." Yes, he said that. "Adam, there's no such thing as 'air' on the 10 Freeway. But you're a friend, so, buckle in." I'm looking forward to seeing Louis. He's a former West Adams resident who found love and a condo on the Westside. In that order. We used to work together at "Chef Eric's" dinner house for the holiday tour. And by "work" I mean, staying sober until the dishes are done. Louis is a curator at the Getty, and I say that to impress you. I'm not even sure what a curator does, but I think it has something to do with smoked meats. He greets us at the door with a smile and the phrase that pays: "You want to see the remodel?" A rhetorical question because, like the Godfather on his daughter's wedding day, no West Adams resident can refuse an offer to check out a home restoration. You know those '50s apartments that morphed into '70s condos? Louis has one, and the "before pictures" are priceless: Brown walls, brown countertops, brown appliances, brown carpeting, brown bananas. "I kicked each nasty bit to the curb two seconds after closing," he says. And I believe him because the new look is stunning. Every bit of design is tied into other elements . . . from the hardwood flooring to the custom handrail, to the new bathrooms. The upgraded kitchen has a Richlite countertop. I had to look it up. They're made of paper or wood-based fibers with natural pigments and non-petroleum-based resins. It's all mixed, compressed, and baked at super high heat . . . and they come out as carpenter-ready slabs. Plus, they're environmentally friendly. Okay, time to eat. We decide to walk, and along the way observe the species known as "Hipsterus Westsidus." They come out at night and are harmless unless you disturb one during a selfie event. In that case, stand tall, wave your arms menacingly, and yell, "I have processed foods." They won't hear you because of their Beats headphones, but the mere sight of someone wearing department store clothing will make them scurry off to their Tumblr page. Dinner's at Gjusta in Venice. It's housed in a 5,000-square-foot former warehouse, and they occupy every square inch. It's so long I need two intermissions and a cold compress to reach the counter. Gjusta is a hippy word that means "bar-bakery-deli-pizzeria-coffee shop-smokehouse." The menu's so packed there are sub-menus patiently waiting for their screen debut. We ordered the Cheese & Salami platter, plus the Smoked and Cured Fish plate. They smoke the fish themselves and yes, it's sustainable. And tasty. Dave arrives and orders a pulled pork barbecue sandwich, which he proclaims to be "delightful." Tonight's conversation is polite, informative, and enlightening, which is horrible. How do I make fun of that? With dinner done, we spill into the night and pass by the famous Rose Café, the thick-necked Gold's Gym, the spiffy Google offices, and the Frank Gehry "binoculars building." Historians insist I tell you the huge binocular sculpture was actually created by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Yes, I'm looking at you, Preservation Committee. Kisses. Our dessert destination is a little place called Dolcenero, where they serve "authentic Italian gelato," and they're not lying. They make it onsite and guarantee it's never served if over 24 hours old. I overheard orders of Fiordilatte, Stracciatella, and PannaCotta, but I couldn't pronounce those so I went with Cherry. I'm so damn boring. I'm also done talking. Time to take the 10 east, and leave the windows open. I love the cool evening air over West Adams. Where's AJ's Hat? Harvard Military School (continued) Pictures courtesy of Rory Cunningham Butler's pantry. Small kitchen in a 1909 apartment. historic kitchens An empty 1909 kitchen. Kitchens in Southern California residences have changed dramatically since the late 19th Century. Although many people who own older homes may view their kitchens as old fashioned, they can also be seen in a historic perspective as part of the evolution of housekeeping in the 20th Century. There is a growing interest in preserving and restoring kitchens from the past. In many cases it includes not only restoration of the appearance of the architectural features of the room, but the use of historic sinks, stoves and refrigerators. Adept cabinet makers are recreating kitchen cabinets from the 1920s and 1930s with drop panel cabinet doors. Historic and reproduction kitchen cabinet hardware from this period has a particularly appealing feature: The latches and catches provide greater seismic security because they must be turned or lifted to open the door. Since most people do not want to give up the convenience of contemporary appliances, the rehabilitation and restoration of a period kitchen requires the sensitive integration of these elements into the historic design. Turn of the Century Kitchens Southern California houses built in the late 19th Century contained a kitchen, pantry and a service porch. Larger houses also contained a butler’s pantry and a staff dining room. The kitchen was a large room with a wood floor. A tongue and groove wainscot was often used on the lower portion of the wall. The upper walls and ceiling were plastered, and there is evidence that wall paper was used on the plaster walls and ceiling. The woodwork was generally stained or grained to imitate wood. Cooking facilities were limited to a sink and a wood or coal burning stove. Built-in cabinets or counters were rare. If a cabinet was used it was a piece of free-standing furniture. The room was furnished with a large table where food was prepared. Illumination was provided by a central gas ceiling fixture or wall sconce until electricity was available. Cooking utensils, dishes and foodstuffs were stored on shelves or in cabinets in the pantry. Butler’s pantries located between the dining room and kitchen provided a place to wash and store tableware. The butler’s pantry also created a barrier to keep the noise and odors from cooking away from the dining room. The service porch was usually a screened-in area that was adjacent to the kitchen. It provided space for the ice box and facilities for washing clothes by hand. A room containing a toilet for staff was located off the service porch. While the layout of kitchens did not change, there were changes in technology. Kitchen sinks made of porcelain or enameled steel and supported on legs and brackets were introduced. More elaborate sinks were provided with an attached drain board on one or both sides of the sink. Built-in storage cupboards with glass or wood doors were being added to the kitchen. Gas stoves were replacing coal and wood burning stoves. Gas water heaters also appeared. Linoleum rugs with printed designs were being used to cover the soft wood floors. Painting the woodwork and cabinets became more popular than staining. The plaster on the walls and ceilings were painted with calcimine or oil paint. Between the Great World Wars Kitchens as we know them began to emerge in the 1920s. Changes in the use and appearance of the facility were affected by several factors that included the introduction of built-in counters and wall cabinets, the development of electrical appliances, the reduction and elimination of household staff and the introduction of a scientific approach to housekeeping. The use of built-in cabinets and counters that provided work space and storage in the kitchen made the food pantry obsolete. Kitchen cabinets were made of wood that was meant to be painted with enamel so that they could be cleaned easily. Countertops were covered with ceramic tile which was considered more sanitary than wood. Other built-in cabinets that were introduced at this time included broom closets for brooms and vacuum cleaners, pull-down ironing boards and California coolers where root vegetables could be stored. In large homes, butler’s pantries continued to be used and were equipped with a double nickel plated or copper sink. The floors were covered with linoleum in modest houses and tile in more substantial houses. The walls and ceilings were usually plastered and painted with oil paint that could be scrubbed. Tile might be found on the walls behind the stove. In larger houses the lower walls of the kitchen were tiled. The woodwork and cabinets were painted with enamel. Stoves perched on high legs contained ovens located at eye-level. Although gas was usually used, electric stoves were beginning to be manufactured. The ice box was being replaced by an electric refrigerator. The early refrigerators sat up on legs and had the motor mounted on top of the case. During the 1930s the design on the stoves changed as the oven was placed under the cook top. Refrigerator design was modified as the motor was relocated inside the appliance. The rooms associated with the kitchen also changed in the 1920s. With the introduction of kitchen cabinets, the pantry was no longer needed and it was eliminated. The semi-open service porch became a room that was integrated into the house and completely enclosed. It provided space for a gas fired water heater, an electric washing machine and a laundry sink. The most profound change was the addition of a breakfast nook into the kitchen. The habit of eating breakfast in the kitchen rather than the dining room was the first step in integrating the work areas and the public living areas of the house. During the 1930s, architects and kitchen equipment designers were rethinking the kitchen and making it more like a streamline machine. New materials such as aluminum, glass and plastic laminates for kitchen counters were being introduced. Post World War II The Southern California kitchen underwent considerable change along with other parts of the house after the Second World War. New types of kitchen appliances and the use of a wide range of building materials that had been developed during World War II to serve military needs although the development of open planning was common in the work of avant-garde architects by the mid-1930s. After the war, the kitchen became increasingly integrated into the public living spaces of the house. The wall between it and the dining room was often pierced or eliminated. Kitchens were expanded to permit activities other than cooking and eating. The service porch was renamed the laundry room and the organization of the room was altered to provide space for the redesigned automatic washers and the new clothes dryer. The butler’s pantry was eliminated. The major change in the standardization of kitchen features was the development of mass produced kitchen cabinets and the decision to make counters 24 inches deep, cupboards 12 inches deep and to limit the width of cabinets to 6 inches. Mass produced wood and steel cabinets replaced those made on the job or in shops by cabinet makers. New types of mass produced appliances included separate stove and oven units, freezers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, dryers and ironing mangles. A number of new materials were introduced into the design of equipment for the kitchen. The technology for mass producing these products and the creation of new manufacturing plants was in response to needs during World War II. This created industries that needed to find new markets for their materials when the war was over. Laminates for covering kitchen counters became a less expensive alternative to tile. Plastic laminates were also used for floor covering as an alternative to tile and linoleum. Stainless steel was popular for the manufacture of kitchen sinks, kitchen counter tops and appliances. Fluorescent lighting emerged as an alternative to incandescent lighting. Where to See Period Kitchens Readers interested in rehabilitating or restoring original features of their kitchen can see original period kitchens in the following house museums: The Gamble House (1908), Pasadena (818) 793-3334; Lanterman House (1915), La Canada Flintridge  http://lantermanfoundation.org/ La Casa Nueva (1925), Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum, City of Industry http://www.homesteadmuseum.org/ William S. Hart House, William S. Hart Museum (1928), Newhall http://www.hartmuseum.org/ Hollyhock House (1946 kitchen), Bamsdall Park, Los Angeles http://barnsdall.org/hollyhock-house/about/ The same 1909 kitchen, but with a drainboard sink brought from another home in West Adams. Photos: Audrey Arlington Art in West Adams California cooler that was converted to a pantry. historic kitchens (Continued) The Human Condition is an immersive, site-specific exhibition that features the work of over eighty artists in a former hospital in West Adams. http://www.humanconditionexhibition.com/#humancondition 2231 S Western Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90018 October 1st through November 30th Two from West Adams features the work of Jefferson Park and West Adams artists Lucinda Luvaas and Rufus Snoody. Muzeumm Gallery 4817 West Adams Monday-Friday by appointment 323-979-3136 http://www.artrevealmagazine.com/two-from-west-adams/ Martin Weil was a highly regarded preservation architect who lived in West Adams. This article was originally published in April 1995. Benefactor Circle Lore Hilburg and Reggie Jones Patron Circle Craig Bartelt & Nick Mercado Ellen Farwell John Kurtz Hilary & A.J. Lentini Hunter Ochs & Kim Michener Ivy Pochoda & Justin Nowell Ed Trosper & David Raposa Heritage Circle Edy & George Alva David Bottjer & Sarah Bottjer Jean Cade Robert Cresswell Lisa Ellzey & Jeff (Ulrik) Theer Natalie Fousekis & Laura Carrillo Friends of Hazy Moon Zen Center Blake McCormick Jim & Janice Robinson Maryanne Sawoski, Continuity Care Home Nurses Elvie Tuttle Preservation Circle Board of Directors Officers John Kurtz, President 323-732-2990 Jean Frost  Vice-President, Preservation Suzanne Henderson 323-731-3900  Vice-President, Events Jean Cade, Treasurer 323-737-5034 Paula Brynen, Secretary 323-936-7285 Board Members Regina Berry 323-333-0175 SeElcy Caldwell 323-292-8566 Jim Childs 213-747-2526 Lore Hilburg 323-934-4443 Janel Glover Laura Meyers 323-737-6146 John Patterson 213-216-0887 Roland Souza 323-804-6070 Jeff Theer 323-964-9999 Candy Wynne 323-735-3749 Advisor Harold Greenberg Legal Advisor 323-732-9536 Vanessa Bailey Robin Evangelista & Dieter Obeji Brandon McCormick & Matthew Kirk Midori Mizuhara & Jae Rodriguez Tim Morales & Monica Morales Francesco Sinatra & Pasta Sisters Brigette Thompson Michelle Warrick Ashley Wysong & Robert Lobato Harry Anderson & Terry Bible Audrey Arlington Albert Aubin Traci Bates & Eric Bates Jeffrey Baum & Patricia Baum Anna & Mason Bendewald Regina Berry Paula & Paul Brynen Odel Childress & Donald Weggeman Rory Cunningham & David Pacheco Art Curtis & Shelley Adler Suzanne Dickson & Steven Stautzenbach James Downey & James Waller Andrea Dunlop & Max Miceli Nazelie Elmassian Sarah and Charles Evans Craig Fajnor Elizabeth Fenner & Brian Robinson Jean Frost & Jim Childs Sharon Hartmann Donald Henderson & Suzanne Henderson Sophie Jefferies Amanda Jegeus & Tomas Jegeus Patricia Judice Patricia Karasick & Christopher McKinnon Kevin Keller & Marc Choueiti Paul King & Paul Nielsen Sarah & Steve Lange Los Angeles Conservancy, Linda Dishman Cassandra Malry & Thom Washington Joseph McManus & Lara Elin Soderstrom JoAnn Meepos & Steven Edwards Marina Moevs & Steven Peckman Mimi Munson Michael Nigosian Sharon Oxborough John Patterson & Jeff Valdez Gail D. Peterson Mary Power & Librada Hernandez Judy Reidel & Al Hamburger Becky Rhodes Walter Rivers, Jr. Donna Robertson & Mark Robertson, Sr. Amy Ronnebeck & Alan Hall David Saffer Debbie & Stan Sanders Chris Taylor & Ansley Bell Willie Thomas Lindsay Wiggins Ned Wilson & Carrie Yutzy Candy Wynne Ashley Wysong & Robert Lobato New Members WAHA (and Friends) Calendar   Saturday, October 8, 2016 Casino Moderne Join the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles for a night of gambling, music, cocktails and vintage at Hollywood's beautiful Deco-era Post 43. For more details or to buy tickets, http://adsla.org/info/content/oct-8-casino-moderne Saturday, October 15, 2016 2016 L.A. Historic Neighborhoods Conference Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Preservation and the L.A. Conservancy. To register or for more information click here.  Monday, October 17, 2016 Pizza Rev Fundraiser Delectable pizza, made to order! 20% of your purchase will help support WAHA Monday, October 24, 2016 Two Decades — Four Presidents — Twenty Dresses — 1894-1904 Many of the early members and founders of the Ebell of Los Angeles were West Adams women. Hear their stories at the Charter Day lunch on while volunteer models show antique clothing from the Ebell’s costume collection. $25 for Ebell members, $35 for the general public. Tickets are available at http://www.ebelleventtickets.com Saturday, November 19, 2016 2:00 p.m. Batchelder:Tilemaker Exhibit Come admire beautiful tile when WAHA meets at the Pasadena Museum of History’s exhibit, Batchelder: Tilemaker. WAHA has also arranged a tour of the Feynes Mansion where the museum is housed. For more information about the exhibit, the museum’s website is http://pasadenahistory.org/all-exhibits/batchelder-tilemaker/ Please RSVP to westadamsgoddess@aol.com before November 10th.