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Posts Tagged ‘Alhambra Preservation Group’

Question 3 – Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Posted in Alhambra Preservation Group, tagged , , , on June 8, 2014| 8 Comments »

Magnifying.Q3With yesterday’s question, we discovered how to use the Alhambra Preservation Group website to learn about an APG program that is educating residents about Alhambra’s rich architectural history. If you haven’t answered Question One or Question Two yet, it’s not too late to go back and participate!

Now, for the last riddle of our Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt! Can you tell us (1) the name of the builder/owner of Alhambra’s last remaining castle and (2) where in the world, he derived his inspiration? We know you can!

In the early 20th century Alhambra featured
A pair of majestic homes
Castles named Tiree and Pyrenees
From far away lands their builders had roamed

Traveling from an isle and Europe’s continent
Both men found their way to our town
To live and build magnificent abodes
Worthy of those wearing a crown

The Pyrenees Castle only remains today
Perched high on a hill with a grandiose view
Though now hidden by trees and a tall wall
Its details and storied past still intrigue more than a few

For homes like this, APG’s working hard
For future generations, our town’s unique past
And architectural gems like these are worth preserving
Alhambra’s Then and Now, to forever last.

If you’re having a difficult time with this one, we’ll post an additional clue on our Facebook page this afternoon.

Note: When you submit your answer on this last riddle, you’re welcome to let us know your prize preference in the comments section. We can’t guarantee that the three winners will receive their preferred prize package, but it may help them receive the prizes that best suit them. If you need to refresh your memory on the prizes, check them out here! Thanks!

 

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Question 2 – Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Posted in Alhambra Preservation Group, tagged , , , , on June 7, 2014| 11 Comments »

Magnifying.Q2You all did great with Question 1 of the Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt! We hope you liked learning more about Alhambra Preservation Group and its history! If you haven’t answered question one yet, it’s not too late to go back and participate!

You’ll have to search a little deeper to find the answer to our second riddle. Telling us (1) the architectural style of the house and (2) the name of the APG award its homeowners won means you’ve solved this one! Remember, the answers can be found on APG’s new website. Put your best sleuthing skills to the test!

Every year when leaves fall
APG highlights Alhambra’s best
Who have toiled with love and sweat
Restoring their homes without rest

In 2011 APG featured a home
With a decidedly English style
Located in Alhambra’s Orange Blossom Manor tract
Where oranges once grew for miles

This home with its steep roof
Gables and beautiful half-timbering
Caught APG’s attention
And received an award worth remembering

These awards celebrate Alhambra’s heritage
A few homes at a time
And calls attention to our city’s legacy
Of architectural gems so very fine

If you’re having a difficult time with this one, we’ll post an additional clue on our Facebook page this afternoon at 3 p.m.

 

 

 

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Question 1 – Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Posted in Alhambra Preservation Group, tagged , , on June 6, 2014| 10 Comments »

Magnifying.Q1It’s time to get to know Alhambra Preservation Group’s new website with our Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt. Are you ready for the first riddle? Here we go!

You will successfully answer this first riddle by telling us in the “Leave a Reply” section below: (1) the names of Alhambra Preservation Group’s two founders and (2) the title of the page within the website where you found their names.

Good luck!

In 2003 two Alhambrans
Began to speak
Talking about changes to their town
Their interest quickly became piqued.

Together they learned
Of their mutual love of local history
They were interested in preserving it
That was no mystery!

They formed a missioned group
“Educate, Advocate, Build Awareness”
Of Alhambra’s older buildings
Homes, yes, and also business.

For more than a decade
APG’s Board of Directors’ has succeeded
In planning, advocating, educating
But more is still needed.

A preservation ordinance to protect neighborhoods
Would surely take the cake
Because without it, our old homes’ future
Are still very much at stake.

If you’re having a difficult time with this one, we’ll post an additional clue on our Facebook page this afternoon at 3 p.m. Please feel free to reorient yourself with the rules and details of the Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt.

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A New Site With Reason and Rhyme

Posted in Alhambra Preservation Group, tagged , , on June 3, 2014| 1 Comment »

Magnifying.glass.Alhambra.croppedWe’re here to announce
APG’s launched a new site
Complete with a game
For three days and three nights.

If you love preservation
Or history’s all the rage,
The answers to our quiz
Can be found on APG’s new page.

As we go forward
There are rules you must heed
On June 6 our blog
Posts the first question to read.

Just past 10 a.m. for three days
We’ll ask you to boast,
“How clever I am!”
By solving each post.

There’s no need to worry,
If you’re Alhambra-wise.
Just answer our riddles
And you may win a prize.

Dinner and a movie
A garden stroll, a hot dog and fries
All sound really groovy
Why not give it a try?

Just before midnight
On three of June’s early days,
Post your answers on our blog
If you’re wanting to play.

So, get out those thinking caps!
Dust off your sleuthing skills!
APG’s Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Starts June 6 for some thrills!

 

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Rules to the Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Posted in Alhambra Preservation Group, tagged , , on June 3, 2014| 1 Comment »

RulesAlhambra Preservation Group is hosting a Preservation Virtual Scavenger Hunt to introduce our new and improved Alhambra Preservation Group website! The contest will be held over three consecutive days on our Prose of Preservation blog.

Check out the contest details and rules, which are listed below:

PRIZES:
More than one winner will be awarded a prize, which increases your chances of winning! There will be a total of three (3) winners who will each win one of three prize packages, which are below. Winners will be selected at random from the pool of entrants who answer all three questions correctly.

The three prize packages include:

A Night On The Town

  • Dinner for two at Barkley’s Restaurant (value to be determined)
  • Two movie tickets to the Renaissance Edwards Movie Theaters (a $25 value)
  • Household membership to Alhambra Preservation Group for 2014-15 for you or a friend (a $20 value)

Gardens and Gamble

Fix It Up!

  • A $25 gift certificate to Crown City Hardware
  • A $25 gift card to DogHaus Restaurant
  • A Household membership to Alhambra Preservation Group for 2014-15 for you or a friend (a $20 value)

CONTEST DATES: June 6, 7 and 8, 2014

CONTEST DETAILS: The contest will take place over three consecutive days. Each day by 10 a.m., a riddle will be posted on the blog and hints will be given in the blog text. Answers must be submitted in the comments section to the corresponding question. All answers in the comment section will be hidden until the end of the contest. Participants may answer each question the day the riddle is posted or answer all the questions by the deadline. All answers can be found on the new Alhambra Preservation Group website!

DEADLINE: June 8, 2014 at 11:59PM

WHO MAY ENTER: Contest is open to all US residents with a valid email address.

WINNER NOTIFICATION: Winners will be announced on June 13, 2014. Winners will be notified by e-mail, on the Prose of Preservation blog and Facebook page. Winners will be required to provide their mailing address, which will be used to fulfill the prize.

If you have any questions in regards to the contest rules and regulations, please ask us in the comment section below.

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Making the Grade

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , , , , on May 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Old.Classroom.Phil.RoederTaking Alhambra from Failure to Excellence in Preservation 101

Join Alhambra Preservation Group for its spring event where we’ll host a conversation with Los Angeles Conservancy’s Director of Advocacy, Adrian Scott Fine, on the steps Alhambra can take to improve its annual preservation grade. Together we’ll learn how we can transform Alhambra from a municipality at the bottom of the Preservation 101 class into a city that receives straight A’s in the preservation and protection of its architectural resources!

Here’s the when and where:

When: 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, 2014

Where: The Auditorium at The Alhambra (the former C.F. Braun campus), 1000 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, CA  91803

Validated parking will be available; enter through the kiosk on Fremont Avenue.

Please RSVP at (626) 755-3467 or e-mail us at info@alhambrapreservation.org to reserve your spot at this important event.

Photo courtesy of Phil Roeder via flickr.com/creativecommons

 

 

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Judson Studios’ Alhambra Connections Explored

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , , , , on March 27, 2014| 4 Comments »

Judson.StudiosOn a beautiful spring morning in early March, two dozen members and friends of Alhambra Preservation Group participated in a private guided tour of the famed Judson Studios in Highland Park. An internationally-famous fine arts studio specializing in stained glass, the Judson Studios building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural landmark.

With more than a century of operation since its establishment by William Lees Judson and three of his sons in 1897, the Judson Studios have produced a remarkable body of work for installation in religious institutions, commercial buildings, and private homes. Examples of their artistry in stained glass can be found throughout Southern California and the United States, including: the rotunda skylight at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles; Hollyhock House in Barnsdall Park and Ennis House in Los Angeles, both buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; St. James Episcopal Church in South Pasadena; All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena; the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in Colorado Springs; and the Stanford Court Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco.

Although a local survey of their work has never been attempted, it is more than likely that a few Judson stained glass windows still exist on display in private homes in Alhambra. Two of the Judson brothers who originally established the family-run business in the early 20th Century and worked as artists and designers also built their own homes in Alhambra and raised families here. These two Alhambra bungalows still stand, on North Electric and North Marguerita Avenues, and many of the neighboring homes built during that same period also feature stained glass windows worthy of notice and attention.

Photo courtesy of Debra Boudreau.

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Stunning Spanish Colonial Receives Top Award

Posted in Heritage Home Awards, tagged , , , , on March 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

417NCampbellA stunning 1932 Spanish Colonial Revival home, located in the Alhambra Park tract, received the 2013 Katherine Hildreth Memorial Heritage Home Award by Alhambra Preservation Group in a recent award ceremony. “The homeowners of this historic home have done an extraordinary job of restoring and rehabilitating this house since they purchased it a decade ago. It is a great example of the way historic preservation can pay big dividends to communities by enhancing property values and restoring neighborhood character and pride,” stated APG President Christine Olson in presenting the award.

When the current owners first saw the home in 2004, they fell in love with the home’s distinctive historic character and many original features – Spanish arches, hardwood floors and hand-troweled plaster walls. Despite its charm, the home needed a lot of TLC, so they went to work to make this house their own. They tore up old carpeting and refinished the original hardwood floors. They found a color palette that better reflected the home’s style. They redesigned the home’s “modern” 1950’s kitchen into one that is highly functional and beautifully characteristic of a Spanish style home. The home’s exterior also received a makeover that included new wrought iron fencing and gates, specifically designing them to match the style of the house. Just recently, the home’s landscaping plan was updated. Now a profusion of succulents and California desert plants grace this home.

Community has been a thread throughout this home’s 80-year history. Today that sense of community continues. Surrounding neighbors have discovered inspiration in this home’s restoration with several adjacent homeowners borrowing design ideas. This home’s rehabilitation is the perfect example of how historic preservation builds community as neighbors help neighbors, through the sharing of ideas, experiences and lives.

Photo courtesy of Mark Tran.

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APG Honors Mid-Century Modern Home

Posted in Heritage Home Awards, tagged , , , on February 5, 2014| 2 Comments »

3111Glenridge.currentSetting a new precedent at its fall meeting, Alhambra Preservation Group recognized a particularly fine example of mid-century modern architecture as one of the recipients of its 2013 Heritage Home Award.  This marks the first time a home of the post-World War II era has been honored by the organization for the integrity of its distinctive architecture.

The post-war period of the mid-twentieth century was characterized by major changes in the fields of architecture and design.  Traditional styles were seen as stale and outdated, and Southern California became the epicenter of the modern design movement. Mid-century modern architecture reflects an outlook of post-war optimism, and its designers believed that a forward-looking style could be a vehicle for the creation of a better world.  Characterized by the use of new building materials and technologies, these homes, built during the period from 1945 through 1970, featured simplicity and integration with nature.  They offered open floor plans and sliding glass doors, encouraging people to go outside and live healthy lives.  Many incorporated swimming pools into their private rear gardens.

Glendridge.Home.Exterior.1This award-winning home is located on Palatine Hill, overlooking Emery Park, and was built in 1960 for the Bezzant family by the local contracting firm of Colletta and Edgely.  Robert Bezzant was employed as Alhambra’s City Engineer; his wife Elaine, was an artist and educator – in addition to being the mother of their six children.  Their four-bedroom home was designed in a post-and-beam style, with floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the rooms in a flood of natural light and provide a seamless transition from the indoors out.  A series of wooden decks and landscaped planting areas surround the backyard swimming pool and spa, thereby increasing the useable living space on this steeply-sloping hillside lot.

Back.DeckFollowing a complete and very sensitively-done restoration, this Alhambra landmark was purchased in 2009 by its current owner, who fell in love with the integrity of its mid-century design, its integration into the landscape, and its hilltop location.

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