Los Angeles Conservancy

Arcola Philpott, the first Black conductor hired by the Los Angeles Railway, is one of many prominent women that students learn about on our virtual field trip: A Woman's Place: Union Station and Chinatown! Philpott, who was hired in August 1944, drove the Vermont streetcar line from Union Station to 116th Street and Vermont. She was also an accomplished pianist, spoke several foreign languages, had worked for the University of Chicago's History Department, and studied soci...al science at Loyola University. Her work for the Railway opened the door for women and people of color: within a few weeks of hiring Philpott, the Railway also hired its first Black, male conductors. If you’re looking to enrich your student's learning experience beyond the textbook, take them on a live, interactive virtual field trip: an entertaining mix of architectural and cultural Los Angeles history! To book a virtual field trip, visit: https://www.laconservancy.org/student-tours

Saving historic places and legacy businesses takes dedicated community advocates who put their passion into action. Apply now for the Conservancy’s Community Leadership Boot Camp! The program offers best practices and lessons from the field, brings attention to current issues impacting historic places, and strengthens individual and group leadership skills. DEADLINE TO APPLY IS TOMORROW. No preservation experience necessary but active Conservancy membership is required. (Due to COVID-19, the program will be conducted entirely online.) To apply, visit www.laconservancy.org/bootcamp

This home at 2211 S. Hobart Street in the Sugar Hill district of West Adams represents the start of an epic fight against racist housing covenants during the late 1930s and ‘40s. It all started when Mr. Norman O. Houston, a Black businessman, community leader, and a founder of the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance company, bought the property: at the time, Sugar Hill was a wealthy and exclusively white neighborhood. Non-Caucasians had been restricted from owning or leasing p...roperty in West Adams as far back as 1902. When the covenants began to expire in the 1930s, some property owners renewed the agreementsbut not all of them did. This allowed Houston to buy his Sugar Hill home. Once he crossed the color line in 1941, other members of the Black elite followed, including celebrities like Hattie McDaniel, Ethel Waters, and Louise Beaver. This resulted in a lawsuit, filed by the West Adams Heights Improvement Association. Such homeowner associations were formed to defend the ‘racial purity’ of their communities and promoted racial segregation by bringing group pressure on white residents to abide by the practices of racial exclusion. Civil rights attorney Loren Miller argued the case on behalf of the NAACP and won. White homeowners appealed to the California Supreme Court and lost there as well. Miller and a team of lawyers would go on to bring the issue to the United States Supreme Court where the Shelley vs Kraemer decision of 1948 ruled that restrictive deed covenants were unconstitutionala historic victory for African Americans.

Tomorrow night at 6 p.m., it’s your last chance to take a (virtual) trip through historic downtown Los Angeles! You’ll get an in-depth look at downtown L.A.’s history and architecture, from the eighteenth century to the present, and see some of L.A.’s most famous buildings: The Bradbury Building, Grand Central Market, the L.A. Central Library, and more. Click for tix: https://bit.ly/3473kl0

The deadline is fast approaching to apply for the L.A. Conservancy’s Community Leadership Boot Camp! Are you concerned about gentrification without regard to cultural loss and displacement in your neighborhood? Our training program will hone your individual and group leadership skills needed to advocate for the historic places you care about in your neighborhood. No preservation experience necessary but active Conservancy membership is required. (Due to COVID-19, the program will be conducted entirely online.) Apply at: http://laconservancy.org/bootcamp

The L.A. Conservancy is saddened to hear of the passing Marshall McKay, The Autry Museum of the West's first Indigenous chairman of the board. https://lat.ms/2XmTojb

The clock's ticking! Applications for the Los Angeles Conservancy's 2021 Preservation Awards are due **this Friday.** Apply online to get your project recognized: https://bit.ly/PresAwardApplication

A prank turned to panic as news spread around social media last week that East Los Angeles' beloved "El Pino"a bunya pine at Folsom and Indiana Streetswas to be chopped down. It was intended as a joke for Día de los Inocentes (the Latin American equivalent of April Fools Day) but the prank was lost on social media where community members rallied together to protest the loss of the tree: a natural landmark and symbol for the East Los Angeles community. Full story via @LATimes: https://lat.ms/3hGn18C

Our first #MidCenturyMonday post of 2021 is a salute to the Theme Building at LAX which, this June, will celebrate its 60th anniversary! This true Modern icon is playful and futuristic; its confident dismissal of the constrictions of the past exemplifies Los Angeles’ mid-century drive to be the city of tomorrow.

Happy New Year, Los Angeles! Wishes for a safe, healthy, happy new year for all.

Today would have marked the 100th anniversary of the Ambassador Hotel. Architect Myron Hunt’s sprawling, Mediterranean Revival-style resort hotel opened on New Year's Day 1921 and was an instant success, receiving rave reviews from the L.A. Times which hailed it as the most stupendous hotel project in the history of the United States. It opened with 444 rooms, 76 bungalows, a bowling alley, billiard room, card room, sun porches, bathhouses, an Olympic-sized pool, miniature ...golf courses, restaurants, a movie theatre, and more. Not only would it become one of Los Angeles’ defining historic sites, but it also fueled the development of Wilshire Boulevard, and for many years was the epicenter of L.A. society thanks to the world-famous Coconut Grove. (The great Paul R. Williams would later make updates to the Grove as well as interior redesigns for the hotel.) The Ambassador closed permanently in 1989 and, after an epic battle to preserve the hotel ended in defeat, it was demolished in late 2005.

A rare, historic cottage associated with the Bullock family (of Bullocks Wilshire fame) is set to be demolished. The property, called Viewpoint, was John G. Bullock’s family summer home. Viewpoint is significant for its association with La Cañada’s Alta Canyada period of the early 1900s, when the community was a popular mountain retreat for Angelenos. On September 29th, the La Canada Unified School District voted unanimously to demolish the 97-year-old cottage to make way f...or additional parking as part of the Palm Crest Elementary School Modernization Project. Despite disagreement by the Conservancy and community members, the LCUSD claimed Viewpoint was not historic as a rare and intact example of the early foothill community of Alta Canyada, nor for its association with the Bullock family. The Conservancy is disappointed that not only did the LCUSD fail to uphold its responsibility under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), it also failed to realize the importance of using its very own historic resources to connect schoolchildren with their community’s history.

Our year-end fundraiser ends tomorrow! Can you help us meet our goal? **All donations made by 12/31 will be matched** and even the *smallest* gift will help us continue to preserve L.A.’s unique, diverse, and rich architectural history. Donate: http://bit.ly/PAFDONATE Text-to-give: PAF2020 to 44-321

Just one look at the exterior of Heart’s Coffee Shop in Lake Balboa and you understand exactly why it’s been a San Fernando Valley institution for more than 40 years. The words Family owned and operated since 1979 are scrawled in bright red across the facade, along with homestyle cooking and daily specialsall hallmarks of their enduring legacy. Locals will readily cite Heart’s Coffee Shop as one of the best breakfasts in Van Nuys, with its homey, retro interiors and a friendly wait staff that has called Heart’s home for *decades*. It's the kind of place where regulars are known by nameand so are their orders. Heart’s Coffee is currently open for takeout service during COVID-19: cash only, Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sundays 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. To order, call: (818) 881-8901. (Get the country friend steak. Trust us.)

Are ‘70s buildings ugly, or just misunderstood? It’s your *last chance* to be the judge on our interactive live virtual tour: Don’t Call Me Ugly! Who knows, maybejust maybeby looking a little deeper, you might actually see them for the first time. Register now>https://bit.ly/3kenKyj

Some of L.A. County’s most beloved historic buildings that have been closed due to COVID-19 are now opening up to serve an important role in 2020. Here’s the Los Angeles Times' Nita Lelyveld with a long list of historic buildings currently moonlighting as polling places.

What did L.A. look like in 1949? Check out this *incredibly* fun flashback through the eyes of a 1949 Beetle. From Bob’s Big Boy to the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building, follow along as this vintage Beetle re-traces L.A. architectural history

In 1923, Alejandro and Rosa Borquez opened a restaurant called the Sonora Café at what was then called Santa Barbara and Moneta Avenues. (Moneta became part of Broadway later in 1923, and Santa Barbara became Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in 1983.) The Borquez's specialized in the Sonoran cuisines of their heritage, such as enchiladas and tamales, and after a few years rebranded themselves as the El Cholo Spanish Café. A few years later, their daughter Aurelia opened up ...her own El Cholo on Western Avenuea modest storefront with eight stools, three booths, and a stoveand in 1931 the business settled at 1121 Western Avenue where the iconic legacy business remains to this day. Today the founders' grandson, Ron Salisbury, 87, is the proud owner, and the staffmany who have been there for decadesshare that pride. Salisbury remembers descendants of the old Californio familieslike the Pico’s and the Sepulveda’srolling up in their limos to pick up batches of fresh tortillas. He remembers the Hollywood movie stars that used to frequent it. And he’s proud that, even though the menu has changed over the decades, the homemade flour tortillas are made just as they were 100 years ago. During COVID-19, you can still get an authentic taste of L.A. history. All six El Cholo locations are open for takeout and delivery and the flagship Western Avenue location is also open for outdoor patio dining. www.ElCholo.com

Angel’s Flight > Oviatt Building? Bradbury Building < Eastern Columbia? You decide.... Take a socially-distanced walking tour of Historic Downtown *or* Art Deco L.A. with members of your household only. Our trained docents will guide you through the very best of Los Angeles architecture. Both tours have just one spot left in October, so book now Historic Downtown: https://bit.ly/HistoricDowntownTours Art Deco: https://bit.ly/ArtDecoDTLA

Poll time: *Are* the taquitos at Cielito Lindo the best in L.A.? The famous food standin the heart of Olvera Streethas been serving them up since 1934. A fun read on this L.A. legacy business via Resy: http://bit.ly/CielitoLindoResy

Can you imagine a Pasadena without its beautiful Civic Center or the charming brick buildings of Old Town? What would Hollywood look like without Paul R. Williams’ elegant homes or the iconic Hollywood sign? How about a downtown L.A. without the Grand Central Market or Broadway’s historic theaters? Thanks to a grassroots preservation movement led by community activists in the 1970s, many of Los Angeles County's most beloved historic places persist. **Tonight at 6 PM** meet th...e leaders of the preservation movement for Virtual Talk + Tour: Preservation on the Rise! Their passionate advocacy led to the creation of some of Southern California’s oldest preservation groups: Pasadena Heritage, Hollywood Heritage Museum, and the L.A. Conservancy. Hear their first-hand stories from the frontlines in the fight to save L.A.’s architectural heritage, and learn how the ‘70s informed how we feel about architecture and preservation. Register at https://bit.ly/70sPreservation See more

Advocacy alert! Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) will consider the Historic-Cultural Monument nominations that have been submitted for Sister Mary Corita’s Studio and Taix! ** About the issues ** Sister Mary Corita’s Studio... From 1960-1968, Sister Mary Corita used the building at 5518 Franklin Avenue as her studio and classroom: it’s where the pop artist made some of her most recognizable works, hosted creative leaders, and influenced a generation of young artists. Taix Followers of the Conservancy are well aware of the ongoing issue with Taix: this historic legacy business, which first opened in 1927, has been at its present Sunset Boulevard location since 1962. In May 2020, a new project was unveiled that calls for the demolition of the Taix building and redevelopment of the site. Voice your opinion on why designating these culturally-significant historic places for landmark status is the right thing to do! Tune into the CHC meeting at: (213) 621-2489 or (818) 904-9450 or join the meeting via Zoom: https://planning-lacity-org.zoom.us/j/98011958180 Meeting ID: 980 1195 8180. Passcode: 425249

** Tomorrow at 6PM ** Join us for virtual talk + tour about the rise of the preservation movement in Southern California: Virtual Talk + Tour: Preservation on the Rise! Joining the panel is Susan N. Mossman, Executive Director of Pasadena Heritage who has been with the organization for 42 years. Hear how community members rallied to save what is now Old Pasadena when the wrecking ball threatened its historic buildings in 1977. Starting with a small backyard meeting, they buil...t a strong coalition to save what we all love about historic Pasadena. Today, that coalition is known as Pasadena Heritage. Susan Mossman, who joined as a volunteer in 1978, was with them on the frontlines and has seen Pasadena Heritage grow from a small, grassroots group to one of the largest preservation organizations in the state of California. We're excited to have her with us tomorrow to relive this exciting time in Southern California history! ** PLUS ** Stay tuned after the panel for a virtual tour of Craig Ellwood's 1976 ArtCenter College of Design! A recording of both the panel and the virtual tour will be made available for all participants. https://bit.ly/70sPreservation

**Tonight at 6 PM!** The County of Los Angeles is holding a virtual meeting for community members to preview redevelopment proposals, ask questions, and provide feedback for the West Los Angeles Civic Center redevelopment project! The Civic Center, a highly intact Mid-Century Modern complex, was identified as a potential historic district by Survey LA. Constructed between 1957-1964 to provide expanded municipal services to a growing population, the Civic Center is now the site of a new redevelopment project by the City and County of L.A. ** Register here to attend: https://bit.ly/3iU9Lw1 **

A San Fernando Valley institution, Lenchita's Tortillería and Restaurant in Pacoima has been serving up traditional dishes and homemade tortillas since 1977. Early each morning the tortilla makers come in to make them by hand, while the rest of the kitchen staff prep ingredients from scratch. This dedication to tradition has earned Lenchitas Restaurant a loyal following who crave the comfort of a home-cooked meal. It’s been said there hasn’t been a kid from Pacoima who didn’t... grow up with Lenchita’s quesadilla in one hand and a pineapple drink in the other. Lenchita’s was founded by a San Fernando Valley native, Angelita Alvarez Rentería, who was struck with inspiration after passing a vacancy sign: why shouldn’t she start her own business? Her hard work and welcoming, friendly nature were key ingredients to her success. Now operated by second-generation family members, Lenchita’s has been in its current location for nearly 30 years. Inside, a lovely mural of founder Angelita is memorialized on the wall fittingly painted by another Pacoima native. During COVID, Lenchita’s is open for pick-up and delivery: 13612 Van Nuys Blvd Pacoima, CA 91331, 7 days a week, 7am - 7 pm. (818) 899-2623