S ta n S ava g e
’92
Scanning the Horizon from Gilmore Island By Kevin Mardesich ’87
P h o t o s : C o u r t e sy o f A . F. G i lm o r e C o mpa n y
A Los Angeles oasis lies hidden to the Kevin Mardesich ’87 teaches Writing for Marketing and Story Development for Film at UCLA Extension. He also runs KevinMardesich.com, a communications practice.
south of CBS television studios , to the west of The Grove’s shopping mall, and to the north of the Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax; here, nestled behind tall lush landscaping and dry rancho walls, sits the beautifully-maintained 1852 historic Gilmore Adobe. This adobe was once at the center of the Gilmore family’s dairy ranch. One day in 1900, Stan Savage’s (Class of 1992) great-great grandfather Arthur Fremont Gilmore drilled into the grounds’ parched soil to build a well. Instead … up flowed what? Oil! After a twodecade run, the vast majority of the wells were capped and the company turned to buying crude oil and refining it at its refinery in Vernon. They then shipped it to their network of stations up and down the West Coast, which topped-out at about 3,500 at its peak. The historic adobe is, in many ways, the heart of “Gilmore Island” – their real estate holdings that grew out of the 256-acre ranch. Today, Stan Savage’s business-development office sits in the adobe, where he scans the horizon for future opportunities beyond his family’s core competencies in real estate, development, banking, and to a lesser degree, oil.
The historic adobe is also home to Choate’s “L.A. community” each spring, when Stan generously hosts the School’s annual Sunday Brunch. Choate’s Angeleno alumni and friends follow the School’s gold-and-blue balloons down the same path that Arthur Fremont Gilmore once strode. They pass what could be his 19th century wheelbarrow and the houses’ freshlypainted wood-framed windows underneath redtiled roofs. The guests reach the adobe’s grassy courtyard surrounded by palm trees and lush vegetation, relaxing into their round tables and conversations. They sip mimosas, unwinding in this oasis from a long work-week and that longer stretch called “L.A.” As sixth-generation Horgan and McDonough families from nearby Hauser Blvd. (the Hausers were also part of the Gilmore family) can attest, L.A.’s rich history resides in its oil industry as well as the sense of community that respected families like the Gilmores have nurtured for future generations. The preserved adobe is one such example; the Gilmores’ low-profile donations to the Salvation Army is another; but their greatest gift is the market they built that millions of locals and tourists have enjoyed for 78 years. The Original Farmers Market was born in 1934 just down the way from the adobe, on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax. Here, Southern California farmers happily supplied fresh produce to Miracle Mile and Beverly Hills housewives. While the Farmers Market is two years shy of being an octogenarian, it seems like not a day has gone by – not even 9/11 – when the market hasn’t touched someone. The Gilmores have cultivated a historical and cultural icon. The market has constantly contributed to the city’s well-being, according to Mayor Villaraigosa's article in the Larchmont Chronicle special issue, which celebrated the market’s 75th anniversary. While the Gilmore Company owns both the Farmers Market as well as the “dirt” under the adjoining Grove mall, they sold Gilmore Stadium (the site of championship boxing) to CBS in the 1950s. But it is the charm and