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Posts Tagged ‘APG’

2013 Membership Campaign Kicks Off

Posted in Alhambra Preservation Group, tagged , , , on October 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

In your mailbox last week, you probably noticed a letter from Alhambra Preservation Group containing information about Alhambra Preservation Group’s (APG) 2013 membership campaign.

If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to take a moment, read the letter and consider joining Alhambra Preservation Group. Established in 2003 and incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization in 2006, APG is uniting a growing number of Alhambra households, business and community leaders in a forward-thinking mission of protecting and celebrating Alhambra’s historical, architectural and cultural resources.

Alhambra Preservation Group offers membership opportunities at three levels, each with its own associated benefits. We invite your participation and welcome your support.  In exchange, we can promise you a full calendar of fun and educational activities, opportunities to meet neighbors, discover new friendships and, most importantly, to deepen and “grow” your investment in Alhambra—our shared “home town.”

If for some reason you didn’t receive our membership information, please give us a call at (626) 755-3467 or send us an e-mail at info@alhambrapreservation.org!

Photo courtesy of slgckgc.

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2012 Heritage Home Award Winners Named

Posted in Heritage Home Awards, tagged , , , , , on October 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The recipients of APG’s 2012 Heritage Home Awards pose with their certificates.

Alhambra Preservation Group (APG) presented its 2012 Heritage Home Awards on Thursday, October 11 at a ceremony in Reese Hall of the Alhambra Civic Center Library. The event was attended by more than 50 Alhambra residents.

The evening included presentations on each of the four featured residences, showcasing the distinctive historical and architectural details of each and bringing to light some of the long-forgotten history on the houses and the people who once lived in these homes. “APG’s annual Heritage Home Awards shine a spotlight on Alhambra’s rich architectural history,” stated Christine Olson, Alhambra Preservation Group’s President. “Each year, APG proudly recognizes several homes, their current owners and the sensitive restoration work that has contributed to the preservation of these gems.”

This year’s four homes are located throughout Alhambra in the Mayfair Tract, the original Alhambra Tract, the Midwick Tract and a little-known area of land in Alhambra originally named the Wiesendanger Tract after a Los Angeles real estate magnate. The honored homes included the following architectural styles, which are prevalent in Alhambra – Prairie-styled Arts and Crafts, Spanish Colonial Revival, English Tudor Revival and Colonial Revival.

Look for a four-part series featuring the honored homes to appear here monthly beginning in December 2012.

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Heritage Home Awards To Be Presented October 11

Posted in Heritage Home Awards, tagged , , , , on October 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Alhambra Preservation Group (APG) will present its 2012 Heritage Home Awards at its fall event. At 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, four local property owners will be recognized for their hard work and dedication to the preservation of Alhambra’s built environment. The event will take place in Reese Hall at the Alhambra Civic Center Library, located at 101 South First Street in Alhambra. “These homeowners have made a considerable investment in our community and its history by maintaining the character of their historic homes,” said Christine Olson, APG President. “We are proud to honor their efforts.”

This year’s Heritage Home Award winners showcase Alhambra’s diverse architecture and include a 1929 Tudor Revival, a Colonial Revival home constructed in 1935, a 1910 Arts and Crafts home in the Prairie Style, and a Spanish Colonial Revival constructed in 1932. Each of these tells stories of the lives of those connected with them: of the Alhambra High School principal who lived in the first home built in the Mayfair Tract; the high-flying real estate magnate whose land holdings were extensive but who, in the wake of scandals and lawsuits, died friendless and penniless; and the family of original owners who left a time capsule buried in their basement.

This event is free to the public, and all are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served after the presentation, and ample parking is available in the library’s underground parking structure. APG has presented the Heritage Home Awards annually since 2008, in keeping with its goal of raising public awareness about the ways in which historic architecture contributes to Alhambra’s economic and cultural vitality.

The Alhambra Preservation Group was founded in 2003 by Oscar Amaro and Katherine Hildreth and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2007. The membership shares the belief that Alhambra’s unique history is embodied in its buildings and that Alhambra’s historic structures provide a real and tangible link to its history. For more information on APG, please call (626) 755-3467 or like us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/alhambrapreservation.

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Survey Says…Alhambra Should Be Preserved!

Posted in Preservation Myths, tagged , on May 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

MYTH:  Alhambra doesn’t have any buildings or neighborhoods that are important enough to be worth saving.

FACT:  In 1984, the City of Alhambra received a grant from the State of California to commission a historic survey and inventory of two of Alhambra’s many residential single-family neighborhoods.  This effort was intended as a first step toward making historic preservation an official part of Alhambra’s planning policy.  Although limited to two neighborhoods, the survey identified more than 600 Alhambra buildings as possessing historic or architectural significance, including several that were potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Our local heritage is represented in many forms:  mansions and modest bungalow courts; churches and commercial buildings; neighborhoods that once sprang up around the Pacific Electric Rail line or in the place of the disappearing vineyards and orange groves; Craftsman bungalows and Tudor cottages; Spanish Colonial Revival homes and Mid-Century Moderns; sandwich stands and neon signs.  Whether modest or grand, all of these are capable of possessing historic significance.  A complete inventory of all of Alhambra’s historic structures is desperately needed, so that our many hidden treasures can be identified, recognized and preserved for future generations.  It’s time to finish the process that was begun in 1984.

What are your thoughts on completing the survey Alhambra’s historic structures? What structures do you think should be included? Let us know in the comments section below.

This is the first article in a four-part series entitled May Monday Mythbusters. Check in with us again on Monday, May 14, when we explore what owners of historic landmark buildings can and cannot do to their historic properties.

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Lights! Camera! Alhambra!

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , on May 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Have you ever dreamt of seeing your house on the big screen? Ever wondered how location scouts choose a site for a movie or commercial? Have you ever questioned if you could earn some additional income through location filming?

At 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 31 at the Alhambra Civic Center Library (101 S. 1st Street), Alhambra Preservation Group will feature “Lights! Camera! Alhambra!” a presentation by Kris Bunting and Kristi Frankenheimer, location managers whose combined credits include more than 50 feature films and television shows. Kris Bunting was pivotal in securing an Alhambra home used in the filming of Long Time Gone, a soon-to-be-released movie starring Virginia Madsen. The hour-long presentation will include information on what film scouts look for in homes and locations, how you can make your house more attractive to scouts, what the range of compensation for homeowners is for filming, and how Alhambra can be more film-friendly in its policies and practices.

Alhambra is certainly no stranger to the silver screen. From the 1945 National Velvet starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney to the 1991 Father of the Bride starring Steve Martin to the 2005 Guess Who starring Ashton Kucher and Bernie Mac, Alhambra attracts film-makers looking for architecturally diverse homes and character-filled neighborhoods. Come and learn how your home can have a starring role in an upcoming television series or movie.

To RSVP please contact Alhambra Preservation Group at (626) 755-3467, e-mail us at info@alhambrapreservation.org or visit us on Facebook.

Photo courtesy of fauxto_digit.

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Feedback from The Greenest Building Screening

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , , , on April 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Imagine our surprise to receive a copy of this letter from an out-of-town guest who attended our March 15th screening of The Greenest Building.

Jeanne Wilkinson was so impressed with our organization and its mission, and so pleased that two of our civic leaders were in attendance at our meeting, that she sat right down and wrote a letter to tell them so.

Here’s what she said:

March 16, 2012

Dear City Manager Fuentes and Councilman Placido,

Thank you for attending the March 15 meeting on historic preservation in Alhambra.  I commend you both for wisely recognizing the profound value that historic preservation plays in protecting property values, promoting civic pride, and safeguarding Alhambra’s aesthetic appeal as a great place to live and do business.

I am a third-generation Alhambran. I attended both Ramona Convent and local public schools. Today, I am the chief financial officer for a multi-million dollar technology transfer firm in Bozeman, Montana which serves as a conduit between Montana State University, the U.S. Department of Defense and the private sector. Bozeman, like Alhambra, is a growing community.  It has a citizenry that is actively engaged in the cause of historic preservation and I should point out that investments made in historic preservation continue to pay huge dividends.

Our historic downtown and residential districts have won national accolades, cementing Bozeman’s reputation as one of the most livable communities in America.  Our local chamber of commerce there uses historic preservation as a selling point in attracting entrepreneurs and new businesses to the community. Historical preservation also has been an engine for our lively arts and thriving tourist economy.

Authenticity matters in today’s world.  I know that both of you recognize the fact that preserving Alhambra’s historic assets gives it a competitive advantage.  I could cite a long list of socio-economic studies showing that communities, which protect their heritage, are more likely to have thriving economies.

For me, Alhambra will always be a place that I proudly call home.  It is heartening to know that our civic leaders here have not lost sight of the qualities that make this community different from “Anytown USA.”  I strongly encourage you to keep working with those who advocate for historic preservation. You will never regret it. There is not a more dedicated group of citizens with vision in all of the San Gabriel Valley.

Sincerely yours,

Jeanne Wilkinson

Thank you, Jeanne, for this letter. We appreciate you taking the time to put your thoughts down on paper and are pleased that you were able to attend this APG event. Best of luck with your ongoing preservation efforts in Bozeman. We look forward to seeing you during your next visit home to Alhambra!

Photo Courtesy of Shenzhenstuff.com

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APG to Screen “The Greenest Building” on March 15

Posted in Events, tagged , , , , on February 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Is a new building the most sustainable choice? Buildings are our most significant consumer products. Yet, every day, these structures are demolished—often in the name of environmental responsibility.  Over the next 20 years, Americans will demolish over one-third of our building stock (over 82 billion square feet) in order to replace seemingly inefficient buildings with energy-efficient “green buildings.” Is demolition in the name of sustainability truly the best use of natural, social and economic resources?

The award-winning film, The Greenest Building explores this question with noted preservationists, architects and green building consultants discussing the environmental impact of demolition, the needs of communities to reflect a “sense of place,” and the proposition that the greenest building may, in fact, be the one that is already built.  The film showcases examples of creatively repurposed historic buildings that have been upgraded to LEED standards, serving their owners and occupants as 21st Century workplaces while preserving the unique character of their surrounding communities.

Alhambra Preservation Group will present a screening of The Greenest Building, followed by a discussion by a panel of experts from the fields of architecture, historic preservation and urban planning.  The screening and discussion will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 in Reese Hall at the Alhambra Civic Center Library, located at 101 S.First Street. All are welcome to attend; the event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. Ample parking is available, at no charge, in the library’s underground parking structure.

For more information about the showing of The Greenest Building or to RSVP, please call (626) 755-3467.

* Photo Courtesy of Alhambra Preservation Group.

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Handcrafted 1911 Home Recognized

Posted in Heritage Home Awards, tagged , , , , on February 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

A beautifully handcrafted 1911 Arts and Crafts home located in the northeastern corner of Alhambra was among four residences honored with an Alhambra Preservation Group 2011 Heritage Home Award at a November 2011 ceremony. “We are proud to recognize the owners of this home for their responsible stewardship of Alhambra’s architectural history,” said Christine Olson, APG President, in presenting the award.

The first owners of this 100-year-old grand Craftsman home were James and Abbie Reid, who lived here with their two daughters, Ruth and Irma. Mr. Reid was a Los Angeles banker and fruit grower and helped to organize the Semi-Tropic Fruit Exchange in 1893 – a growers’ cooperative that later became known for its Sunkist brand. In 1911, the Reid family bought eight acres of land in the original Alhambra Tract and built an elegant two-story home in the northeast corner of their property with the help of Los Angeles architect Arthur Acker, whose residential designs reflected his admiration of famed Craftsman architects, Charles and Henry Greene. The Reids planted their surrounding acreage in Valencia and navel orange trees, and situated the ranch so that it was immediately adjacent to both the Southern Pacific rail line and the Alhambra Packing House.

Sadly, the Reid family was not able to enjoy their home for long. Mr. Reid was killed in a streetcar accident in 1913, and his widow sold the home to John and Florence Sesser in 1918. John Sesser was a railway executive and real estate speculator who was very active in the early days of the Alhambra Board of Trade. The Sesser family owned this home until Florence’s death in 1965.

When the current owners purchased the home in 2003, there was a great deal of rehabilitation work to be done, with the most immediate problems involving the plumbing and electrical systems. After upgrading these two major systems, the real work began in 2009 and literally involved raising the roof so that badly damaged original rafter tails and exposed beams could be replaced, and a new roof installed. Finally, all of the home’s exterior shingle siding was removed so that the walls could be fully insulated for energy efficiency. The original shingles were then turned over, reinstalled and stained so that their un-weathered side is now exposed.

Interior improvements to the home were also part of the restoration work and included a remodel of the kitchen, downstairs bathroom and butler’s pantry. With improvements both inside and out, this stunning Arts and Crafts-styled home is now ready for the next 100 years!

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Elegant Tudor-Revival Garners Award

Posted in Heritage Home Awards, tagged , , , , on February 7, 2012| 2 Comments »

An elegant Tudor-Revival home located in northern Alhambra was one of four residences honored with Alhambra Preservation Group’s 2011 Heritage Home Award at a November 2011 ceremony. “We are honored to present this award to the owners of this home in recognition of the time and care they have invested in the preservation of this historic home,” stated Christine Olson, President of the Alhambra Preservation Group in presenting the award.

This home is located in an area of Alhambra that was once known for its productive (and prosperous) commercial orange groves.  The 10-acre Orange Blossom Manor Tract was planted by the father-son business team of Nelson and Elmer Bailey.  The Baileys were experienced orchardists when, during the very early 1900s, they moved to Alhambra from Florida and established their Golden Pheasant brand. By the 1920s; however, the citrus industry was in decline in Southern California and the Bailey-owned orange groves were subdivided into housing tracts.

When this home was built in 1927 by Harold and Georgia Marriett, the total assessed value of the property was $5,740.  While the identity of the Marriett’s architect is a mystery, the builder was Arthur A. Tennyson of Alhambra. Originally from England, Tennyson immigrated to the United States in 1881 and was a master builder of both homes and ships. Tennyson was also responsible for building the bath house, pergolas and municipal buildings at Alhambra Park, Alhambra’s first public park, which was officially dedicated on July 4, 1921.

Harold Marriett was a purchasing agent for the Alhambra-based Standard Felt Company when he met his second wife, Georgia, a stenographer for the same company. They married in 1925 and purchased this site for their new home in 1927, presumably because it was just a few lots north of Georgia’s younger sister Madelyne’s residence. The Tudor-Revival home that they built was meant to impress. A very popular residential style in the post-World War I housing boom, the popularity of the Tudor-Revival style continued throughout the Great Depression. Elements generally incorporated into these homes included steeply pitched roofs, front-facing gables, ornamental half-timbering, prominent brick chimneys and tall mullioned casement windows—all of which are featured in this picture-perfect house. While they lived here, Harold Marriett owned a successful printing business in Los Angeles. The Marriett family continued to own this home until 1970.

The current owners purchased this home 10 years later in 1980. They fell in love with its character-defining features, which are rarely—if ever—found in new home construction.  Their many renovation projects have included the addition of central heating and air conditioning, replacement of the home’s original plumbing, seismic retrofitting and the addition of a bedroom and bathroom, all accomplished in a way that both respects the home’s historic character and enhances its value.

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