Pangloss Cellars, photo found at Fodors.com |
Cal-Tales
Discovering California's sense of place through its landscape, preservation and story. Readers can provide updates and commentary on the places posted here. Please join me in discussing California's resources that indeed make this our Golden State. Thank you.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Saved: Preservation by Local Businesses
Labels:
adaptive reuse,
community identity,
preservation,
sonoma,
winery
Location:
Sonoma, CA 95476, USA
Friday, July 12, 2013
Genius Loci, or...
What the focus groups suggested was that a sense of place was not located in the town's overt links to national events and people, nor with its civic past, but in its longer history, its physical appearance over time, its historic built environment, and particularly with the iconic...
Sheila Watson
Chapter 12: History Museums, Community Identities and a Sense of Place
Museum Revolutions: How museums change and are changed
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Threatened: Dome Theaters
Century 22 Theater, as part of the Century 21 through 23 complex. Photo found at Silicon Valley Modern. |
Demolition of Cinedome 70 in Riverdale, Utah. Photo found at The Standard Examiner. |
Several dome theaters in California have already met their demise, including Orange County's Century Cinedome Theaters, demolished in 2000, and Pleasant Hill's CineArts, demolished this year. Ironically, their failures occurred in the wake of the City of Los Angeles protection of the Pacific Cinerama Dome Theater in Hollywood. Century 25, now known as the The Retro Dome, has recently closed its doors in Silicon Valley, citing an interest in finding a new location for its venue. Is this the next dome to fall?
The challenge for any preservationist fighting to save contemporary places is to establish both historic significance and support for what the public might not yet appreciate. Professionals within the field will cite the National Parks Service 50 year rule, where "properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National Register." Indeed, state offices of historic preservation, including California, adopted this guideline for their evaluations. Yet even the National Parks Service recognized the significance of more recent post-war architecture that deserves evaluation.
Dome theaters, cinedomes, or cinerama domes are powerful icons representing the West Coast's modern aesthetic set apart from any other place in our nation. The post-war rapid development of the west encouraged some architects and developers to find efficient and expedient ways to use building resources. In this era, developer Joseph Eichler gained national attention, along with other visionary architects Richard Neutra and Charles & Ray Eames. The theater's architect, Vincent G. Raney, should be recognized for his contributions to the arts and entertainment industries, even as many of his theaters are closing.
The simplicity of geodesic dome theaters spawned tremendous imagination, setting the stage for all IMAX wonders and L.A.'s Vortex Dome, to the humble igloo-shaped personal and mobile theaters. Innovation is not limited to the new and shiny objects of today. Californians have a wonderful opportunity to bring creative minds together to not only petition to save dome theaters, but to consider adaptive reuses or new theater experiences within the context of a significantly historic place. In this land of innovation, modern values, and serious technology talent, there should be viable response to the wrecking ball.
Labels:
century theater,
cinedome,
cinerama,
dome theater,
eichler,
imax,
mid-century,
preservation,
retro,
san jose,
threatened,
vincent raney
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Lost: Bunker Hill Houses, Los Angeles, California
Bunker Hill Houses, Los Angeles, California. Photo by unknown photographer, but found at NPS' Heritage Documentation Programs Facebook page. |
The Castle just prior to demolition. Found at On Bunker Hill. |
Perhaps one that was saved? Found at the 1947 Project. |
Victorian mansion in the way of progress. Find this and other dramatic photos at KCET's Departures. |
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Threatened: Historic Wintersburg, Huntington Beach, California
Wintersburg Presbyterian Church, Huntington Beach, California. Photo found at O.C. Roundup. |
Supporters of its preservation have started YouTube and Facebook pages for public awareness. Even the City of Huntington Beach is encouraging its preservation. Despite state and nationwide interest, Historic Wintersburg's fate is uncertain.
UPDATE: The Orange County Register recently announced that the owner of the property will not demolish the buildings, at least for now. The property owner, Republic Services, is working with local preservationists to consider possible options. The work begins, as reported by the Huntington Beach Independent.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Landscape: Felix Gillet Institute, North San Juan, CA.
Photo found at the Felix Gillet Institute.
This posting will introduce a new topic to Cal-Tales; historic landscapes throughout California. We are fortunate to have several available resources that research California's landscapes, such as the California Garden & Landscape History Society (CGLHS) and the Northern California Chapter of the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALSNCC). Both routinely report on historic gardens and landscapes throughout our state. For example, Marlea Graham, Editrix emerita for CGLHS, recently reported about a new nursery in the Sierra Foothills dedicated to the propagation of historic fruit trees. Originally introduced by a Frenchmen, Felix Gillet, some of his trees from the mid-1800s can still be found in the area. Now, the Felix Gillet Institute is striving to search out Gillet's trees to propagate and make them available to the public. I encourage everyone to support their effort.
After attending the Historic Landscape Institute at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, I am encouraged to see a similar preservation strategy occurring here on the Left Coast by Gillet followers. The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants similarly seeks out and propagates plants brought to the United States by Jefferson himself. Organizations like the Felix Gillet Institute, the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, and Luther Burbank Home & Gardens provide invaluable resources for understanding our country's introduced plant species.
Labels:
cultural landscape,
gillet,
historic,
jefferson,
landscape,
orchard,
plants,
preservation,
sierra
Location:
North San Juan, CA, USA
Friday, December 14, 2012
Threatened: China House, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
China House, Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Photo found at The Press-Enterprise.
"Rural Chinatowns served as geographic sanctuaries where ethnicity, language, and cultural practices were held in common and where the amenities of traditional Chinese life where readily available," writes Richard Steven Street. Marginalized ethnic groups at the turn of the 20th century needed a sense of community as Street recognized, "Chinese field hands encased themselves in a variety of protective institutions aimed at preserving their dignity and self-respect amid a hostile society."
Photo found at Flickr. |
The unreinforced brick building is the only remaining structure of Rancho Cucamonga's Chinatown. Buildings built of wood and scraps burned to the ground in 1919, after a man caused a cooking accident. As a testament of perseverance, the China House remained long after the destruction of the community.
Rubbing the salt in the proverbial wound of erasing the physical places of immigrant history is the City of Rancho Cucamonga's decision to proceed with red tagging this early 1900s China House. Set for demolition in as early as 60 days, the current owner, Cucamonga Valley Water District, does not have the interest or funds to restore or retrofit the building. Its demolition would occur regardless of the city council's 1979 designation of China House as a landmark.
The demolition of this building would also come in the wake of greater interest in Asian history and preservation in California and throughout the United States. This interest brings to question, what indeed are the motivations of the water district behind allowing this historic building to decay?
Update: Kudos to the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance for exploring options for saving China House, as reported by Neil Nesperos of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
Update: The plight of China House has just received national attention!
Update: Demolition delayed!
Update: The National Trust for Historic Preservation has just announced 2013's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, and China House is one of them. This year, the Trust's President, Stephanie Meeks, has taken to YouTube to further their cause. For further information, see Save Chinatown House in Rancho Cucamonga. Supporters are also on Facebook.
Update: Kudos to the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance for exploring options for saving China House, as reported by Neil Nesperos of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
Update: The plight of China House has just received national attention!
Update: Demolition delayed!
Update: The National Trust for Historic Preservation has just announced 2013's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, and China House is one of them. This year, the Trust's President, Stephanie Meeks, has taken to YouTube to further their cause. For further information, see Save Chinatown House in Rancho Cucamonga. Supporters are also on Facebook.
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