SPRING 2014
THE FUTURE FOR NELLES
For 123 years the site of the former Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility has been a curiosity to Whittier Citizens. Unless you’re among the few who have visited the campus, or worked there — or done time there — you’ve probably driven past the facility on numerous occasions, occasionally wondering what lies beyond those gates and the soaring screened fences. Although the institution closed in 2004 and film production crews regularly swarm the grounds, it still seems to be as offlimits to ordinary citizens as it ever was. But why? Here’s what we know: The entire 74 acre parcel is California Historical Landmark No. 947. Every assessment that’s been done confirms that there are eight historic structures on the property. No one disputes that. All eight are listed in the California Register of Historic Resources and are National Register eligible. In 2010, Brookfield Homes successfully bid to purchase the property from the state and since then has been working with the City of Whittier to formulate plans for development of the site. Envisioned is a mixed-use retail and residential project that currently calls for demolition of six of the historic buildings. Ownership has not yet transferred to Brookfield and will not do so until plans are finalized and an Environmental Impact Report has been completed and accepted. Then the Whittier City Council must approve the project and grant entitlements. As this process goes forward, debate about the value of the six buildings slated for demolition is likely. But only a handful of citizens have actually seen them, including three of our members who were shown the property three years ago before any development plans were formulated.
The Nelles Administration Building
Among the few that have seen the site, descriptions range from “magnificent” to “blighted.” We contend that interested members of the public need to have a frame of reference to decide for themselves whether they support or oppose preservation of the historic structures at risk. And yet, since development plans were initiated, neither the Whittier Conservancy, the press, nor any other civic group has been allowed to see the threatened resources. Over several months, both the State of California and the City of Whittier have denied our repeated requests for access. It’s certainly understandable that visits need to be orderly and that tours should be guided and monitored. But even small groups, like our seven-member Nelles Sub-Committee, which is studying options for adaptive re-use of the historic structures, are being denied the opportunity to see and assess in person the usability of the buildings. For the record, the Whittier Conservancy supports redevelopment of the property. We believe that adaptive reuse of the historic structures would, in fact, enhance plans for a successful retail and residential project. We also advocate for the inclusion of as many of the 500 (Nelles, continued on page 2) INSIDE: Eight Nelles Historic Buildings, pgs 4 & 5. Conservancy Receives Governor’s Award, back pg.! Reminder, Founders’ Day is May 10th at Central Park. See you there! 1
THE PRESERVATIONIST PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Nelles Print shop in maintenance garage, circa 1935 (State Archive), Chattel Study Figures / attachment A
A s the new president of
the Whittier Conservancy, I am genuinely humbled to follow in the immediate footsteps of community treasures like Mary Gorman-Sullens and, before her, the late Dorothea Boyd. With her charismatic enthusiasm and warmth, Dorothea was universally beloved. Equal parts grace and grit, Mary is similarly admired and thankfully continues to play a vital role in our organization, as she has from the day it was born in her living room. Although I may not possess Mary and Dorothea’s particular gifts, I do hope to maintain their record of success. To that task, I bring professional experience in communications and a long history of community involvement. Like my predecessors, I prefer
collaboration to confrontation, but am ready to stand firm when necessary. Fortunately, we have a board made up of prominent citizens and thoughtful individuals who know when to compromise and when to take a stand. With their leadership, and the leadership of those who have gone before them over our 26 year history, we have played a crucial role in preserving significant structures, historic neighborhoods, our wild Whittier Hills and the community’s legacy of graceful trees. But perhaps our greatest accomplishment as an organization has been something you can’t see. The Whittier Conservancy has irrevocably changed the way this city values its own heritage. Even before the 1987 earthquake, economic forces were eating away at the city’s core.
“The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence” - T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets While that event and the subsequent flurry of demolition awakened citizens to the vulnerability of our heritage, without the Whittier Conservancy that awareness would have been short-lived. To maintain our effectiveness going forward, I hope to open robust lines of communication with other stakeholders in town. If we can foster and maintain a continuing dialogue with a wide range of city leaders, we can prevent misunderstandings, strengthen relationships and even forge partnerships that will make our work easier. Who knows? It could mean fewer last-minute encounters with advancing bulldozers.
As we pursue our mission, there will always be those who mistakenly believe that our goal is to obstruct progress. Correcting that false notion is just part of our job. The fact is, we know that change is always at work reforming the status quo. Our goal has never been to stand in the way of change or hold back the future. Our goal is to identify what has value in the past and incorporate it into the future. Put simply, we work in the present to connect the past to the future. And that work goes on. Ted W. Snyder
(Nelles, continued from page 1) documented mature trees and existing streetscape as is feasible. We would like to see a development that respects the property’s pivotal role in the history of our city, incorporating that history into a project that is also visionary, inter-generational, sustainable, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented and one that meets the needs of the community for senior housing, green space and commercial vitality in a way that is unique and visually consistent with the site’s historic nature. We’re also committed to constructive engagement and believe in open communication with all parties. In fact, we have begun discussions with the developer to explore saving more of these irreplaceable remnants of our heritage. The elimination of more than 75% of the site’s historic resources would be a terrible loss for the citizens of Whittier and California, and without those resources the project could not be as special as our community deserves. 2
Nelles Infirmary, exterior detail, formal entrance, from west
SPRING 2014
Nelles Gymnasium, view south, circa 1935, Chattel Study Figures / attachment B 29
DIRECTOR’S REPORT Guilford Hall, Whittier College: Plans are finally underway to move historic Guilford Hall, the former Kroener family home, to its new and final location at the corner of Comstock and Penn. The move should take place sometime in late summer and the house will become the cornerstone piece of an 11-unit owner-occupied housing project. We have worked to save this structure for more than six years and are delighted that thanks to Heritage Housing Partners, it will soon become a major aesthetic contribution to that long-blighted corner, as well as a great housing addition to an under-served part of Whittier. Earlham Hall, Whittier College: Last October, residents of the Earlham Historic District presented a united front at City Hall where they pleaded with elected officials to address numerous code deficiencies at the site. Built in 1903, Earlham Hall was home to the first president of Whittier College and is a designated cultural landmark, yet has sat vacant and neglected since the 1987 earthquake. We enthusiastically welcome a recent City Council initiative authorizing council members Bob Henderson and Owen Newcomer to meet with Heritage Housing Partners and with the President of Whittier College to see if a solution can be found that reclaims the building as an asset to the college, the neighborhood and the community. Five-Points Car Wash: Owners of the car wash approached the city for demolition permits, but were held back when the Historic Resources Commission voted to list the property on the city’s roster of culturally significant resources. The car wash is one of the finest remaining examples of mid-century Googie architecture and has been named by the Los Angeles Conservancy as one of the best left in the county West Road: Sadly, residents on West Road did not prevail in their efforts to stop incompatible development in their neighborhood. After two years and five public hearings regarding the compatibility, size, scale, mass, and style of a proposed home remodel, the mega-mansion was approved over neighbors’ objections. A lawsuit was filed, but the judge determined that the neighbors had not met the burden of proving a “prejudicial abuse of discretion” on the part of the Council. Although we believe the City Council majority erred when it allowed the mansionization of this particular home, the judge allowed the decision to stand based on the unusual lot configuration and unique location. There is no way, however, that his decision could be read as an endorsement for this kind of extreme home makeover in other, more typical, Whittier neighborhoods. Because this struggle was so time-consuming, contentious and expensive, it is our expectation that city staff, the Planning Commission and the Council will be more cautious the next time a resident wants to super-size their home.
The city is also rightfully strengthening neighborhood notification in the wake of this case. We consider that an important and positive step forward, and encourage the Council to clarify the code to give additional deference to existing neighborhoods. Dorothea Boyd Memorial: The Conservancy has received a $25,000 grant from Edison International to plant trees in urban areas. Our hope is to use that grant to assist the city with a sustainable project that coincides with the city’s repair of Hadley Street, east of Painter. Widened over thirty years ago to make way for the eventual passage of a thoroughfare through the hills, we have suggested a mitigation of Hadley that would bring it back to scale by adding medians landscaped with drought-tolerant plants. Since this was Dorothea’s neighborhood, we would like to honor her by dedicating the median plantings in her name. In addition to funding the flora, we have also offered schematic planting diagrams prepared by Dorothea’s good friend and neighbor, professional landscape designer Shauna Bryan. We are hopeful that this project will earn the support of city staff and city leadership. Intern Program with Whittier College: The Conservancy is partnering with the Biology Dept. and the Whittier Scholars Program to fund an intern who will work over the summer on a sustainable building project. Heritage Housing Partners of Pasadena, who will be overseeing the move of Guilford Hall as well as the affordable housing project at Comstock and Penn, will host the student for six weeks of intensive hands-on experience in making a project happen. The intern will “shadow” professionals throughout the process: from site plans to engineering reports to architectural designs, landscaping, and permit approvals. Nelles Development Process: In February we submitted comprehensive input to the scoping process for the Lincoln Specific Plan (Nelles) Environmental Impact Report. Our concerns focused on the eight landmark historic structures that will be impacted by the proposed project as well as the destruction of over 90% of the mature trees and other foliage that define the historic site. We anticipate the draft EIR will be released sometime this summer, at which time we will be responding to the findings submitted. The Los Angeles Conservancy, the California Preservation Foundation, and the State Office of Historic Preservation also had similar concerns and will be weighing in as the EIR process unfolds. Public hearing before the Planning Commission may commence this fall, with Council consideration expected by the end of the year or early next year. Stay informed and be ready to provide your own input too.
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THE PRESERVATIONIST
AUDITORIUM
GYMNASIUM
GARAGE / MACHINE SHOPS ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT’S RESIDENCE
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SPRING 2014
SUPERINTENDENT’S RESIDENCE
Fred C. Nelles School California Historical Landmark No. 947 Eight Identified Historic Structures ADMINISTRATION
INFIRMARY
Presbyterian Hospital Property
CHAPELS
Schematic visualized by Tom Bihr
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THE PRESERVATIONIST Chapels and Training Center, interior detail of Protestant Chapel, from east
NELLES HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS On July 1, 1891 the State Reform School for Juvenile Offenders opened in Whittier. It was the first such facility in the state and the first state building in Southern California. Over 12,000 people — roughly eight times the population of the city — attended the ceremony, during which the Governor and Board of Trustees laid the cornerstone of the main school building. Board member Josiah Sims looked optimistically towards the future of this unique state institution. “Here the boy will be taught to wield the hammer, turn the iron, and polish the steel; to plant the tree, prune its branches, and pluck its fruit; to write the article, set the type, and fold the document; to admire his country, love his brother, and reverence his God; to become a citizen, privileged with the inalienable rights of a free-born manhood. Here the wayward girl will be taught to ply the needle, fit the garment, and cook the food...” Whittier had been chosen as the site for the new institution, quickly renamed The Whittier State School, due in part to a large land donation by the Pickering Land and Water Company, which was attempting to pull the town out of the depression of 1890 and establish a financial base for the still fledgling community. It has been speculated that the Quaker settlement would have failed without the school, as it became one of the community’s largest employers and an important economic asset. In 1901 the school powered the first electric lights in Whittier. Gymnasium, entrance portal
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Gymnasium interior
In 1912, Canadian businessman Fred C. Nelles was chosen as superintendent of the school and quickly reformed the reformatory, instituting a more modern administrative philosophy and progressive behavioral modification techniques that influenced juvenile detention across the state and nation. Arguing against the sort of repressive treatment that had once characterized the school, Nelles said: “Fundamentally, a love of justice and a respect for law can never be created through injustice. We may, in this way, develop anarchists and graduate criminals, but we cannot make American citizens.” Nelles’ more humane and scientific approach to the challenges of juvenile delinquency continued to guide the institution for decades, well past his untimely death in 1927. In 1941, a quick series of superintendents culminated in trustees selecting Father Flanagan of Boys Town, recently made famous by the 1938 movie starring Spencer Tracy. When he arrived, Father Flanagan told the boys that if they didn’t approve of his philosophy, they could leave. When 120 decided to leave that night, officials fired Flanagan and the Governor insisted the newly formed Youth Correction Authority (renamed the California Youth Authority in 1943) take over administration of the school. No longer autonomous, the facility was subsequently operated like similar state institutions. Ironically, as officials departed from Nelles’ philosophy, they gave the school his name, dubbing it the Fred C. Nelles School for Boys, later rechristened the Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility. From the 1950s through the 1970s numerous buildings were added, creating a more standardized, institutional appearance, and reflecting the admission of more serious offenders. During that period, future country music legend Merle Haggard was sent to Nelles—and escaped in 1952. After the 1987 earthquake, Nelles wards spent hundreds of hours helping to clean up quake damage. Meanwhile, the evolution toward more dangerous inmates and higher security continued until the facility closed and the last ward left on May 27, 2004. Since then, the grounds have been host to numerous film and television productions, although documentaries about the facility itself are oddly prohibited. Superintendent’s Residence, entrance hall
Chapel interior
SPRING 2014
Mission Statement
The Whittier Conservancy is committed to the preservation and enhancement of Whittier’s unique character and quality of life. The Conservancy promotes awareness and appreciation of Whittier’s historic, aesthetic, and natural resources. The Conservancy works for the preservation and sensitive use of Whittier’s significant residential structures, landmark commercial buildings, and notable landscapes, including its valuable cultivated trees, public parks, and the natural beauty of the Whittier Hills.
The Whittier Conservancy Membership Application
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The Whittier Conservancy, P.O. Box 9114, Whittier, CA 90608-9114
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WHITTIEr CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2014
PRESIDENT
TED SNYDER VICE-PRESIDENT
DEIRDRE MURDY TREASURER
MEL STURR SECRETARY
GWEN WOIRHAYE TANIA CRUSE MARY GORMAN-SULLENS FRED KERZ THERESA RIVAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
HELEN RAHDER
P. O. Box 9114 Whittier, CA 90608
www.whittierconservancy.org info@whittierconservancy.org newsletter design: berkeley b stewart
CONSERVANCY MISSION ENRICHED BY MATHONY ENDOWMENT
For those who knew her, Virginia Mathony was a treasure trove of Whittier history. Born in Rochester, New York, in 1910, Virginia moved to Whittier in the post-war boom and became a secretary at Whittier High School. Upon retiring in 1965, she helped to found the Whittier Historical Society. Virginia’s interest in Whittier led her to compile an anthology of the founding families of her adopted Quaker community. She researched and chronicled the lives of the early settlers of Whittier, producing three published books. Last year, two of those outstanding historical narratives were among materials provided to local elementary school districts as part of a Conservancy initiative, supported by a grant from Edison International, that supplied third grade classes with curriculum about local history. During her years in Whittier, Virginia became a close colleague of former Conservancy President Dorothea Boyd. When Virginia moved back to Rochester at the age of 93, she and Dorothea maintained their friendship through written correspondence. In 2008, Dorothea received a letter from Virginia applauding the Conservancy’s efforts to save the California Domestic Water building on Whittier Blvd and sharing her decision to bequeath a portion of her estate to the Conservancy because, as she put it, “the Conservancy isn’t just talking about things; they’re doing something.”
On December 18, 2013, Virginia Mathony passed away just a month shy of her 104th birthday. Shortly thereafter, we received notification from the trustees of her estate that an unrestricted fund has been left to the Conservancy in support of our mission to “preserve and protect the historic and natural resources of Whittier.” This legacy will be honored as the Virginia Mathony Endowment and will help further the causes she held so dear. * 7
THE PRESERVATIONIST The Whittier Conservancy P.O. Box 9114 Whittier, CA 90608-9114
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CONSERVANCY WINS 2nd GOVERNOR’S AWARD During ceremonies on November 21, 2013 at the Leland Stanford Mansion in Sacramento, the Whittier Conservancy was presented with the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation for the second time in its history, the first being in 1995. Awardees are selected by the State Office of Historic Preservation to honor individuals, organizations, and agencies who demonstrate outstanding commitment to excellence in historic preservation. In their announcement of the award, California State Parks called the Whittier Conservancy “a leading advocate of adaptive reuse and sustainable development as well as a repository for historic preservation information in the community. It is a volunteer, non-profit group of civic-minded individuals dedicated to community activism, informing the public and local officials about the need to respect and honor historic structures, neighborhood integrity, and the natural environment.” Director Helen Rahder, then President Mary Gorman-Sullens and incoming President Ted Snyder were pleased to accept the award on behalf of the organization. “The award is further validation not only of our mission, but our success in pursuing it over so many years,” observed Gorman-Sullens. The framed certificate described the Conservancy with these words:
From left, Aaron Robertson, Chief Deputy Director, California State Parks; Ted Snyder, Mary Gorman-Sullens and Helen Rahder of the Whittier Conservancy; Carol Roland-Nawi, State Historic Preservation Officer; and Julianne Polanco, Chair of the State Historical Resources Commission.
The Whittier Conservancy came into being when a group of citizens organized to save the historic Uptown district of Whittier from incompatible development following the 1987 Whittier Narrows Earthquake. In the years since that first effort, the Conservancy has been a leading force in preservation, encouraging the city to form a Historic Resources Commission and draft a Historic Resources Ordinance. The Conservancy also helped create historic districts, preserving some of Whittier’s most historic structures and homes. Thanks to Conservancy efforts, the Whittier and Puente Hills also were preserved as the historic backdrop to the original Quaker settlement. More recently, the Conservancy prevented the demolition of the city’s California Domestic Water building. The 1934 art deco building has been beautifully restored and is once again occupied by its namesake company. Today, the Whittier Conservancy remains a grassroots organization, greatly valued by the community as a leader in preserving the region’s cultural heritage. A video about the Whittier Conservancy, produced by the State Office of Historic Preservation, can be viewed at www.youtube.com/user/calshpo.