Explore South Pasadena's Historic Buildings

Then and now...

The Los Angeles region doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to preserving landmarks.  Despite the efforts of dedicated preservationists, many architectural wonders have been lost to the wrecking ball.  The Richfield Tower, The Brown Derby, The Garden of Allah, and The Ambassador Hotel are just a few of the historic structures that have been demolished in the name of progress.  (Many South Pasadena residents were worried that our very own Rialto Theater would meet the same fate.  Luckily, for now, that disaster seems to be averted.)

You won't find points of interest once the last art deco tile or Spanish arch has been hauled off to a landfill -- a parking lot here, a nondescript office building there.  What's left behind is a creeping blight of utilitarian sameness that has earned Los Angeles the title of "Strip Mall Capital of the World."  We've gained a lot of dry cleaners and nail salons, but we've lost a lot of our history and perhaps more than a little of our soul.

And Another One...

I'm on a roll, gang. Yet another beautiful car I had not seen before. Wish I'd had my camera with me, but my trusty iPhone captured the moment in a pinch.

In Good Spirits

The Meridian Iron Works building always puts me in a happy mood when I see it. It has been around since 1887, serving as many things over the years including a hotel, a grocery store and a blacksmith shop. Now it's the South Pasadena Historical Museum, as well as a cheerful place to hang out while waiting for a train.

Little Bit, however, is convinced that all the ghosts in town hang out upstairs there. What do you think?

Watercolors

A storm blew in yesterday afternoon -- the opening act of today's main attraction storm system. Most of South Pas looked gray except for this lovely tableau on Meridian.

The National Weather Service says these storms may be the biggest since 1998's El Nino floods. Meteorologists predict 8 to 16 inches in our nearby foothills-- the communities below the epic 250 square mile burn area of last summer's Station Fire. (8 to 16 inches?!) The Los Angeles Fire Department and Bureau of Street Services are providing sandbags to burn-area residents. Dial 311 to find a fire station or Street Services location near you, or check out the LAFD's blog or the Bureau of Street Services. If South Pasadena residents need sandbags, contact the South Pasadena Fire Department.

But maybe these clouds have silver linings. Heavy rain will certainly jumpstart all those little seeds scattered across our wildfire-scarred mountains...

Update: Friend of GOSP Mister Earl commented with a link to this hilarious UCLA student video about how Los Angeles reacts when it rains. It's worth a look, though folks outside the region might not be in on the joke...

Want to learn about South Pas History? Just ask Jane Apostol...

While much of the Los Angeles cityscape changes with each new trend, South Pasadena revels in its history. Here, a few residents enjoy snacking at the old watering trough on Meridian -- a convenience for horses back at the turn of the last century and now an ideal picnic spot, especially during the busy Farmer's Market. In the background, you'll notice the historic Meridian Iron Works. This beautiful redwood building is the oldest commercial space in South Pasadena. Built in 1887, it has hosted a number of establishments including a grocery store, foundry and telegraph station. Now, it's home to the charming South Pasadena Historical Museum.

South Pasadena residents are used to walking around the structures of our city's past. We know these places are part of history. But we don't always know exactly what the history is. That's where Jane Apostol comes in.

Jane is one of California’s most gifted historians. San Gabriel Valley locals take note: Jane's 13 books include Painting with Light: A Centennial History of the Judson Studio and Vroman’s of Pasadena: A Century of Books.

But it's her first book that means so much to the residents of South Pasadena. Jane is the author of the definitive story of South Pasadena: South Pasadena: A Centennial History 1888-1988. Originally published in 1987, it quickly sold out and became a collector's item. (I recently got into a bidding war over a copy on Ebay!) Doyce B. Nunis of Southern California Quarterly summed it up best: "Occasionally a local history comes along which stands in a class by itself."

Now, we no longer have to fight collectors over the first edition. The South Pasadena Public Library and the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library recently published an expanded new edition: South Pasadena: A Centennial History 1888-1988, Second Edition with Chronology, 1988-2008.

Every South Pasadena resident should own a copy of this remarkable book. Sure, Jane gives us all the meat and potatoes of the city's chronology ... but she also includes a taste of delicious little back stories. Reading this book is a bit like reading South Pasadena's personal diary, with thoughtful examination of the many fascinating people who have lived here, and juicy details about South Pas society and culture. Forget any of the bland history books you may have been assigned in school. This one is filled with humor and insight -- and a staggering amount of detailed research. And did I mention the photographs? Jane's book is filled with rare images dating back to the founding of South Pasadena.

I was a little starstruck by the opportunity to interview Jane Apostol. She graciously agreed to let me pick her brain about her experience writing this book. Here is our conversation:

LA: As an historian, what prompted you to tackle South Pasadena as a subject?

JA: I am not a South Pasadenan, but my ties with the city date from about 1975, when a friend at the Huntington Library suggested that I write an article on Margaret Collier Graham: noted author, ardent feminist, the first South Pasadenan to be listed in Who’s Who, and the first woman appointed to the board of the South Pasadena Public Library. During my research I talked with City Librarian Mary Helen Collier Wayne, the grand-niece of Margaret Collier Graham. Mrs. Wayne mentioned that there was no book-length history of South Pasadena and asked if I would be interested in writing a history. I agreed to do some preliminary research but after learning more about the city and some of the interesting people who grew up there, I was inspired to begin writing. The result was South Pasadena, a Centennial History, published by the Library in 1987. The book was designed by former South Pasadenan Ward Ritchie and had an introduction by his old classmate Lawrence Clark Powell. Both men were proud alumni of Marengo School.

LA: What was the most challenging aspect of writing a comprehensive history of South Pasadena?

JA: I enjoy the research but find it a challenge to organize the material to produce a story line that engages the reader.

LA: What has surprised you the most about the city's history?

JA: In reading through old South Pasadena newspapers, I was surprised at how often the city considered changing its name so people wouldn’t think South Pasadena was part of Pasadena, and on the wrong side of the tracks at that. Among the alternative names proposed were Oneonta, Robleda, Calidena, Bajadena, San Pascual, Poinsettia, and Las Flores.

LA: Historians are said to "listen to the voices of the past." What's your favorite South Pasadena story? (Or favorite colorful character from our city's past?)

JA: One of my favorite stories is of the meeting held in 1888 in the dining room of Wynyate, the home of Donald and Margaret Collier Graham. At that meeting, the city board of trustees elected officers, named Donald Graham as mayor, and passed a prohibition ordinance. (Although not a prohibitionist, Graham did oppose saloons). After the board adjourned, he said to his wife in great amusement, “It would have been well to remove the wine glasses and the whisky bottle from the sideboard before meeting to organize a prohibitionist town.”

LA: What are you working on now?

JA: Currently I am doing some research on an English illustrated monthly, The Wide World Magazine, which published from 1898 until 1965. Readers were promised thrilling adventure stories and astounding photographs.

I'd like to thank Jane for giving us such a thrilling adventure in her well-woven tale of South Pasadena's history. I told her to expect a couple more questions -- but I thought it only fair to let my GOSP readers ask them! Just email me. I'll choose a few, pass them on to Jane and post them next week.

Read more about South Pasadena: A Centennial History 1888-1988, Second Edition with Chronology, 1988-2008.

To purchase your own copy, please check out The Friends of South Pasadena Public Library website or call the Friends bookstore at (626)441-5294.

Noel Noel

I just love the little Christmas tree in the park next to Meridian Iron Works building, just below the Mission Station platform. Sure, there are bigger, flashier trees ... but this one is just right, tucked into a little corner of South Pas. It brings to mind my very favorite Christmas poem, written by (my very favorite poet) ee cummings:

little tree
little silent Christmas tree
you are so little
you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest
and were you very sorry to come away?
see i will comfort you
because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark
and hug you safe and tight
just as your mother would,
only don't be afraid

look the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms
and i'll give them all to you to hold
every finger shall have its ring
and there won't a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed
you'll stand in the window for everyone to see
and how they'll stare!
oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands
and looking up at our beautiful tree
we'll dance and sing
"Noel Noel"

Daydreaming

Here in South Pasadena, it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of idyllic security: beautiful surroundings, safe neighborhoods, great schools, art and architecture, culture and recreation, and a diverse community intent on preserving what we have for future generations to enjoy.

We're extremely fortunate, and luckier than a lot of other people sharing this planet.

You'll all forgive me a rare lapse into my own personal politics, but here's my heartfelt wish for President-elect Obama and his new administration: that through their work, more people will have a chance to enjoy the good life. That change and hope are not just beautiful nouns to hypnotize an electorate but action items to build a better country. That the trusted ideals of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and not the tarnished fantasies of Milton Friedman inspire new plans to benefit workers as well as shareholders. That our fragile planet's ecology receive more thoughtful solutions than Cap and Trade. That women's rights be a top priority, not just a tool for voter manipulation, and that equal pay for equal work become a reality, not just a forgotten slogan from the 1970s. That not only our children but the children in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and Gaza, and Iran, and all other regions lashed raw by violence (or awaiting a strike) will have reason to believe that America is a land of peacemakers and reformers, of fairness and humility, of innovation and collaboration, of accountability and honor, of tolerance and charity.

It's a tall order, I know. But something tells me these are extraordinary times...

For All Ages

I’ve mentioned the abundance of children in South Pasadena, but I haven’t yet noted the many elders of our tribe. Southern California isn’t exactly noted for its warm embrace of graceful aging. There are areas of greater Los Angeles where you will rarely even see anyone over 50. (If you do, they -- and their plastic surgeons -- wouldn’t dream of admitting it.) But here in South Pas, many silver threads are woven through the city’s tapestry, and I think they not only add to the elegant beauty of the place but make it stronger.

A sense of history is here in the people, not just the buildings. Some residents were born in the very houses where they will spend their retirement. A lot of folks who moved here many years ago to raise a family have stayed for decades past their last child’s high school graduation. South Pas also has several assisted living facilities as well as a convalescent hospital. Since the city itself only spans a few square miles, it is a manageable community for people of all ages.

I like being in a place where the local breakfast joint has a row of strollers as well as walkers. It feels like a big family where every generation is included. I hope I’m lucky enough that when greater society says I belong in a museum – I’ll be like this gentleman: proudly living with everyone else on the outside of it.

The Meridian Iron Works

South Pasadena claims to have the oldest and most historic sites in the San Gabriel Valley. The Meridian Iron Works building is one of the town’s first structures, and it’s a charmer. It was built in 1887, about a year before South Pasadena became the 6th incorporated Los Angeles County municipality. First it was a grocery store and hotel, then later it was modified into a blacksmith and iron works shop. Today it serves as the South Pasadena Historical Museum . Funded and operated by the South Pasadena Preservation Society, the museum displays a permanent collection of artifacts from the earliest history of South Pas and the entire San Gabriel Valley. Occasionally the museum will show private collections. This past July, it hosted free outdoor movie nights on the adjacent lawn. It has a great selection of post cards, vintage photographs and other souvenirs.

The museum is open from 1-4 on Saturday and 3-8 on Thursday. Admission is free. (Stop in after shopping the Farmer’s Market!)