SIGNATURES & LANDMARKS

TheWatts Towers

SOMETIMES YOU BEGIN A JOURNEY, UNCLEAR OF THE FINAL DESTINATION. YOU TAKE THE FIRST STEPS AND LET DESTINY UNFOLD.

By Sheryl NanceNash

COURTESY OF ARCHIVEOFAFFINITIES.TUMBLR.COM/IMAGE/148208261518 Back in 1921, when Simon Rodia purchased a little cottage in Los Angeles with a triangular-shaped backyard and began “decorating”, he couldn’t have known that he would be creating an historic piece of work, which over the next 30-plus years would become the Watts Towers of Simon Rodia, 17 massive sculptures constructed of structural steel and covered with mortar.

“I don’t think he had building a monument in mind when he started. It grew organically and built upon itself. We only have vague information, some photos that give us a look at the early stages. He likely began by decorating his house, then began creating a tower, then another tower, and another, connecting them. At some point, he raised a tower and there was a tower within a tower,” surmises Jeffrey Herr, the Historic Site Curator for the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs.

“Rodia was a tile setter by trade, but he spent weekends and hours after work, building the towers almost nonstop for years. He was also a preacher, and very unique,” says Herr.

Born in Ribottoli, Italy, Herr suspects the Los Angeles landmark Rodia built, which he called Nuestro Pueblo (our town), could have been influenced in part by what he saw as a boy attending village folk festivals. “Men carried 40 foot structures in parades. Think of statutes like the Virgin Mary effigies, but 10 times bigger. It has some parallels to what he did with the towers,” says Herr.

t Construction of Watts Towers Arts Center, Calif. 1961 by UCLA Library Special Collections

“The Towers were deeded to the State in 1978 and locations in the Oscar winning movie La La Land.”

What was it that brought Rodia all the way from Italy to America? His brother immigrated here in 1895 and lived in Pennsylvania. Rodia followed not long after and later made his way to the west coast to work in construction. Herr isn’t sure when exactly he started building the towers, but bit by bit it all came together. What’s remarkable is that Rodia, alone, built them. There was no crew. He also didn’t have any investors plucking down big bucks for materials. He had no fancy equipment or machinery. “This is about a man’s ingenuity. He accomplished an engineering feet, with hammer, chisel, pliers, simple tools,” says Herr. He dressed the towers in broken glass, sea shells, tiles, ceramics, whatever was handy. “While it looks like he gathered broken things, he also would take whole things and break them. It was purposeful and good and repurposing found objects,” says Herr.

To give you a sense of how huge his towers are, one of them is nearly 100 feet and contains the longest slender reinforced concrete column in the world. The monument also features a gazebo with a circular bench, three bird baths, a center column and a spire reaching a height of 38 feet. Rodia's "ship of Marco Polo" has a spire of 28 feet, and the 140-foot long "south wall" is decorated extensively with tiles, sea shells, pottery, glass and hand-drawn designs.

The only way he could work on the towers, says Herr, was to climb. He had built-in ladders in the towers. He carried up heavy materials and wet concrete. By his early 70s, the physicality of the task was no longer sustainable. “When he could no longer continue, he deeded his property to a neighbor and joined his sister in Martinez. I don’t believe he was finished,” says Herr.

Who knows what else he might have done? The Watts Towers, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are a National Historic Landmark, and a State of California Historic Park and HistoricCultural Monument No. 15, as designated by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission.

The first couple of decades the Watts Towers, however, didn’t get much attention outside of the neighborhood. It was in an industrial area, close to the railroad tracks. The spotlight didn’t come until the

are a tourist attraction. They were one of the

50s and early 60s. Herr says there was a major controversy over the towers because of their size and potential safety hazard, especially in the event of an earthquake. A fire destroyed his house after he left, in 1956. The Department of Building and Safety wanted the property destroyed. Bill Cartwright and Nick King bought the towers from Rodia’s neighbor for $3,000 and they founded the Committee for Simon Rodia’s Towers in Watts. They recognized the worth of towers and fought to save them by getting signatures and money and saw to it that an engineering test was conducted in 1959 that would prove the towers were structurally sound. “The deal was that if a stress test was done and the tallest tower couldn’t be pulled down the city would rescind its demolition order. The monument was rescued,” says Herr.

The 60s would usher in a new era for the towers. “They were a focus point for arts and culture in Watts. They were an impetus for creating a cultural arts center there. In the 60s Watts was on the cutting edge of the music scene. The towers were a beacon of individuality, which meant a lot to a community that was underserved. The towers were a foundation for African American artists looking for a springboard for their work. Rodia was a spiritual icon for their work. He gave them a foothold,” says Herr. “What may be less recognized is how integral the arts center that still exists today, is to the significance of the towers. His little house that burned downed was where the art center was first. It started outdoors.”

The Watts Towers Arts Center is a tremendous cultural resource, with galleries, contemporary and historical art, educational programming, the annual Simon Rodia Watts Tower Jazz Festival, Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and much more.

The Towers were deeded to the State in 1978 and are a tourist attraction. They were one of the locations in the Oscar winning movie La La Land.

Rodia is quoted as saying, “I had in mind to do something big and I did it.” He certainly did. Says Herr, “It’s amazing that he had the ability to focus so intently on one things for so many years. He proves you can do anything – amazing things, if you believe in yourself.” v

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La Quinta

BY ROBYN FLANS

athe slice of California heaven getaway.

“THERE ARE MORE THAN 200 DIVERSE PIECES  PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, AND MURALS ON BUILDINGS.”

As La Quinta approaches the 40th anniversary of its incorporation in May, the city celebrates a rebirth. During the last year, while the world has been navigating its way through a global pandemic, La Quinta, the desert treasure that sits at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, was no different.

Luckily, the City of La Quinta had saved money in their Emergency Economic Reserve Fund for a rainy day, and as Marcie Graham, marketing manager for the City of La Quinta put it, “This was a torrential downpour.”

The community rallied together to take care of one another with a “shop local” campaign and a massive funding through the city council to keep businesses open, assist in rent, and offer restaurant owners grants to build or enhance al fresco dining spaces – heaters, misters, etc. With just over 1.9 million dollars, they were able to help 108 establishments. A remarkable feat.

In creating a haven and a thriving city, La Quinta was able to preserve the slice of California heaven for those who drive to escape the turmoil of larger nearby cities, as well as those for whom they call their snowbirds – the travelers from cold climates, many of whom actually own second homes in La Quinta – or opt for rentals or stays in one of the areas five hotels.

Today tourists come from all over to enjoy the average climate of 75 degrees, which enables the participation in the many available outdoor activities such as the numerous scenic hiking and biking trails, tennis, yoga on the lawn and of course, golf, for which the city has become known as the golf capital of the world. In addition to many courses open to the public, La Quinta is host to the famed PGA Tour’s The American Express Tournament (formerly the Desert Classic and the Bob Hope Classic).

Similar to what is happening across the country, Graham reveals that the new favorite sport in La Quinta is pickleball. “We listened to our residents, and they wanted some of our tennis courts converted into pickleball courts, so we did that,” Graham says. “It has quite a huge following and it’s great.It appeals to all ages and it’s another outdoor amenity.”

When dusk hits, diners can experience a wide variety of cuisines, but it’s really the scenery that makes the dining special – the mountain views and oranges, pinks and lavenders of the cotton candy skies.

Many descend upon the city for the La Quinta Art Celebration, which occurs in March and November, but there is plenty of art on view throughout the year without the celebration. There are more than 200 diverse pieces – paintings, sculptures, and murals on buildings – sprinkled throughout the city and pocket maps are available for self-guided tours.

“When we purchase art, we purchase it from the Art Celebration, and we have some of our commissioners go out and find things that would be great in our city,” says Graham. “But when we are commissioning a piece like a mural, we get community input. We get our commissioners’ input on what they would like to see, whether it’s something bright and colorful or something that incorporates the natural surroundings. Then we work with the artist on a design and go back to council for approval. Then we identify where it’s going to be,” Graham explains, adding that some of the locals also donate pieces that the city will install and erect a placard, which will remain their legacy.

There is also a collection of art at the library, including a 20-foot metal dinosaur in the courtyard (a kids’ favorite). Throughout the 15 parks there are several art installations, with one that features 911 and houses a piece of the Twin Towers. Bird Song is the newest mural, completed at the beginning of the year, and is painted on the side of the museum. H

“WE TRY TO HAVE THE ARTWORK REPRESENT CULTURE, DIVERSITY AND HISTORY. BEFORE LA QUINTA RESORT WAS HERE, IT WAS THE CAHUILLA INDIANS.”

The museum itself contains an abundance of art as well – including a permanent exhibit and rotating exhibits.

“We try to have the artwork represent culture, diversity and history. Before La Quinta Resort was here, it was the Cahuilla Indians,” Graham says. “We’re always circling back to remember our history, whether it’s through art or through our museum where we have a whole permanent exhibit focused on the Cahuilla Indians and artifacts to honor who was here before us. We even have guided hikes where you can see various artifacts from the Cahuilla Indians that are still up in the mountains today. No matter where we are going in the future, our history has shaped us. We always want to honor it.”

La Quinta also has a rich and storied celebrity history. The serenity of the area, the appeal of the La Quinta Resort and Club (established in 1926) and the proximity to Hollywood brought stars like Greta Garbo, Clark Gable and Shirley Temple to La Quinta as early as the late ‘20s whenever there was a little time off from filming. In 1934, Frank Capra and his cowriter Robert Riskin wrote “It Happened One Night” at the hotel. The movie took home the top five Oscars. In 1953, Ginger Rogers married Jacque Bergerac at the resort, and by the end of that decade, such notables as President Dwight D. Eisenhower hit the golf course.

The area’s treasures prompted a couple by the

name of Erich and Kaethe Wolff to buy a vacation home in 1945. Starting in 1976, their son Fred and his significant other, Kay, would take trips down from Los Angeles to visit Fred’s parents. Kay, now 84, recalls that she immediately fell in love with the tranquility, the clean air, and the sleepiness.

Fred and Kay married in 1977, bought a couple of lots and moved to La Quinta in 1980. Fred was very instrumental in the incorporation of La Quinta in 1982, which brought forth many improvements and he became the city’s first mayor soon after.

While Fred passed away in 2004, Kay still resides in La Quinta and remains active in the community. She has been involved in many of its major achievements. Of course, she has seen the area become a lot less sleepy, but all in the name of progress. Since the incorporation, she has witnessed all the important progressions such as trash pickup, animal control, and housing regulations. Just as they were incorporating, a Vons was being built.

“People used to come and say, ‘Where’s your downtown?” Wolff says with a laugh.

Well, they never really ended up with a downtown, but they do have a Main Street and a village they call Old Town thanks to developer Wells Marvin who moved to La Quinta in 1977. It took him seven years to build Old Town, a gathering place with its many shops and restaurants. Combining the California renaissance architecture and the natural beauty of the surroundings, Old Town is as picturesque as it gets. Add to that the art and oh, yes, let’s not forget the palm tree lined corridor that makes it feel like paradise, which has charmed visitors from near and far.

“I can’t believe how many people have never seen a palm tree in their lives,” says Graham who can’t get over the number of palm trees there are, even after living in the area for 30 years. “The epitome of California is a palm tree.”

La Quinta, the slice of California heaven getaway. v