newsletter - The Heritage Society of Pacific Grove

The Heritage Society of Pacific Grove
NEWSLETTER
Dedicated to Maintaining the Beauty and Individuality of Pacific Grove
Volume 10, Issue 10
S
November/December 2010
Christmas at the Inns
tart your holiday fun by
attending the 26th annual
Christmas at the Inns in
Pacific Grove on Tuesday,
November 30 and Wednesday,
December 1 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Local bed and breakfast inns, many
of them grand Victorian mansions
from the 19th century, will be
decorated in holiday splendor and
open for the public to tour and
admire. There will be live entertainment and refreshments, plus
exciting glimpses at the beautiful
interiors of our charming inns.
Comfortable shoes are recommended, and ladies are asked not
to wear high heels. Tickets, good
for both evenings, are $20 per
person, available through the
Pacific Grove Chamber of
Commerce.
On Tuesday evening, the
tour includes Seven Gables Inn,
Martine Inn, Pacific Grove Inn,
Gosby House, Centrella Bed and
Breakfast, the Inn at 213 17-Mile
Drive, Jabberwock (in Monterey),
and Asilomar’s Phoebe Hearst
Social Hall.
On Wednesday evening, the
tour will visit Green Gables
Inn, Old St. Angela Inn, Pacific
Grove Inn, Old Monterey Inn
(in Monterey), Inn at 213 17-Mile
Drive, Jabberwock, and Phoebe
Hearst Social Hall.
Call the Chamber at 831-3733304 for more information.
Calendar
DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS AT THE INNS
Pacific Grove
November 30 and December 1
HOLIDAY CANDLELIGHT TOUR
Napa, California
December 11
LEGENDS OF CALIFORNIA HISTORIC LIBATIONS
San Francisco
December 17
FEBRUARY
HERITAGE SOCIETY LECTURE
Pacific Grove
Date to be announced
Heritage
Houses for
the Birds
Winners
M
Dennis Tarmina and his “Swan Boat” birdhouse
By Craig Riddell
ore than 600 people
strolled through
Elmarie Dyke Park in
Pacific Grove on Sunday,
October 3, where they gazed
upon more than two dozen
birdhouses handmade by members of the community. The
Heritage Society’s sixth annual
Heritage Houses for the Birds
• Mayor’s Choice Award:
Maryanne Spradling, for her
driftwood entry “The Perch”
(selected by Pacific Grove
Mayor Carmelita Garcia).
• Best Assessed Value Award:
Barbie Dean, for “Tides Retreat”
(selected by Monterey County
Assessor Stephen L. Vagnini).
• Best Historical Rendition:
Dennis Tarmina’s Pacific Grove
Swan Boat.
• Best Whimsical/Eclectic:
Murphy Robins’ “Mrs. Finch’s
Tea House.”
• Best Beach Cottage:
Maryanne Spradling’s “The
Perch”.
A gift award was also given in
the Youth category. This went
to 11-year-old Corrine Harris of
Pacific Grove.
Legends of California
Historic Libations, December
17, 6-9 p.m. at California
Historical
Society,
678
Mission Street, San Francisco.
Celebrate the season by tasting
legendary cocktails from across
the state, including Pisco
Punch, the Revolver, Moscow
Mule, and the Martinez. Live
tango, gypsy jazz and blues
entertainment. Tickets $50,
$40 for members from www.
californiahistorical society.org.
For more information, call 415357-1848 x229.
Lecture
Reveals PG’s
Prehistoric
Past
P
acific Grove, “America’s Last
Hometown,” may also have
been among its first, accordEd Kreps and his redwood/
ing to archaeologist Gary Breschini.
copper birdhouse
In a well-attended October lecture
sponsored by the Heritage Society,
Breschini shared fascinating evidence that he and his wife Trudy
Haversat found of a prehistoric
community dating back more than
7,100 years near Lovers Point,
where the Senior Housing Project
now stands. Carbon dating of
samples found there indicates it is
By Claudia Sawyer
All opinions expressed are
the earliest inhabited site on the
those of the authors and do
he silent art auction held Monterey Peninsula.
not necessarily reflect the
in October to benefit the
Before
senior
housing
official positions of the Board
of Directors, but are meant
Pacific Grove Library was construction began in 2004,
to stimulate interest in and
a great success. The Heritage Breschini and Company were
discussion of preservation issues.
Society donated from its collec- allowed to conduct a dig on the
tion the six paintings that were lot. Many items were unearthed
Maryanne Spradling’s
auctioned.
that gave insight into a fishing
“The Perch”
Five of the paintings sold. village that had its heyday about
Bids ranged from $50 to 5,700 years ago. Information
Contest and Silent Auction, held
$1,500. The highest bid was from the dig in Pacific Grove has
in conjunction with the Historic
for “Peanut Wagon,” an oil on proved important in research
Home Tour and Artists in
masonite by noted muralist worldwide.
Chautauqua, was a tremendous
Harold Landaker (1892-1966).
Evidence
suggests that
success, raising $3,800 for
The person who bought the prehistoric dwellers in the
Society programs and projects.
22nd Annual Holiday painting plans to donate it to Pacific Grove area were part of a
Throughout the day, visitors
Candlelight
Tour, December the library on permanent loan migration that began 14,000 years
had the opportunity to vote for
ago down the “kelp highway”
their favorite birdhouses. The 11, 3-6 p.m. in Napa, California. after having it reframed.
Three of the works were by along the west coast of California.
public’s votes were tallied to Sponsored by Napa County
determine a winning birdhouse Historical Society, this event artist Mabel Landaker (1902- Some migrants settled on the
will showcase impressive 1998). One successful bidder coast and specialized in fishing,
in each design category.
The 2010 Heritage Houses “California Modern” homes said she had known Mabel and while others moved inland and
for the Birds Contest winners of Monticello Park, examples was thrilled to have one of her relied on foraging and hunting.
Breschini’s team used groundof
innovative
post-war paintings. “Floral Mood” by
are:
Mabel
Landaker
did
not
sell.
It
penetrating
radar to determine
architecture
in
a
mid-century
• Best of Show:
Steve
Honegger, for his birdhouse neighborhood on the outskirts will be reframed and added to the most promising spot to
examine. As they went down
made of things found in, under of Napa. Dessert reception the library’s collection.
A total of $2,875 was raised for through layers of soil, they found
included. Tickets $25 for
and around old houses.
• People’s Choice Award: Ed members, $30 for non-members the library through the auction. fishing lures that bore traces
Kreps, for his redwood and from www.brownpapertickets. The Heritage Society thanks of the kinds of fish that were
everyone who participated.
caught. Flaked stone tools, arrow
com/event/130538.
copper birdhouse.
Art Auction
a Success
T
Upcoming
Events
Elsewhere
points and spear points made
of obsidian from the eastern
Sierras gave indications of ancient
trade routes. The most common
artifacts discovered were grinding
tools of a type that can be found
nowhere else in California.
Archaeologists speculate that
these tools were used for making
boats or for deepwater fishing.
Breschini stressed that it is
essential to preserve items found
at digs, as archaeological sites are
disappearing. In the future, there
may be better testing and analysis
techniques that can derive even
more information from these
artifacts.
“Prehistory of Pacific Grove” was
the third in the Heritage Society’s
current lecture series. The next
lecture will be held in February,
when Stanford professor Carol
McKibben will discuss patterns of
ethnic migration to the Monterey
Peninsula.
Lecture
Attracts
New
Members
T
he Heritage Society’s
October lecture,
“Prehistory of Pacific
Grove,”
attracted many new
© Sonia Cook
members. Attendees were
offered one-year memberships
with their admission fees.
Welcome to the following new
members who joined at the
lecture:
Teresa Stasis and Gene
Anderson, C.J. and Grace Beigle,
Tim Bills, Barbara and Gene
Bullock-Wilson, Jessica Cope,
Judy and Bruce Cowan, Sheila
Dawkins, Linda Decker, Diana G.
Dennis, Amy Essick, Constance
Gamicie, Sandra and Richard
Grimmer, Lynn Hamilton,
William Henderson, Annie
Holdren, Robert Hommon,
Carolyn Selbicky and Charlie
Higuera, David K. Jones, R.T.
Karman, Naomi Kirkwood, Gary
and Sally Kuhn, Terrence J. Lee,
Michael and Camille Liscinsky,
By Carrol Patterson
Brian Lyke, Ann McBride, Jeff
McDowell, Jim and Marie Miller,
f you attended Artists in
Susan Morley, Tracy Moyle,
Chautauqua during the
Todd and Kim Muck, Ernest
Pacific Grove Historic Home
and Louise Ramirez, James
Tour on October 3, you would
Robeson, Donarose Rompel,
have marveled at the photograRudy Rosales, Richard Ryan,
phy display by our Sonia Cook.
Victoria and Adrian Salcido,
She specializes in photograph©
Sonia
Cook
John Schragheck, Michael
ing unusual views of Pacific
Sizemore, Carakert Sundt,
Grove that capture the imaginaAs a local Pacific Grove Society Barn and she may be Pauline and Anthony Troia, Dan
tion. You may look at the same
sights, but Sonia has a very resident for many years, and commissioned to photograph and Jeanne Turner, Deborah
Wareken, Kenny and Christine
special eye, and her camera cre- former board member of any event, animal or person.
Warde, A.H. Warren, Judy and
the
Heritage
Society,
Sonia
Sonia
is
such
an
unassuming
ates a spectacular reality that
highlights all the best of our quietly donates both time lady, and we often forget just Chase Weaver, Brenna Wheelis,
town. She did the Home Tour and expertise to helping how much she contributes Bonni Weinstein.
Our apologies to anyone we
photos for the Monterey Herald immortalize the spirit and to our beautiful community.
may
have missed—you are also
beauty
of
Pacific
Grove.
Her
gift
We
are
very
grateful
for
her
and the Pacific Grove Hometown
most
welcome!
cards are sold at the Heritage presence.
Bulletin.
Local
Photographer
With a
Following
I
New
Members
Tom Markey
Chris Patton
Joy Ross
Nick Sasson
Laura Brunton
Cheri Nebgen
Daniel Davis and
Terry Winston
Pierre and Virginia Chomat
Membership Count:
1390
A Heritage
Society
Primer
(Part II)
Preservation and
Documentation
T
he following article about
Heritage Society accomplishments has been
adapted from research by the
late Bob Davis.
Preservation: The Heritage
Society has focused on
preserving Pacific Grove’s
architectural heritage. Member
Lowell Northrop drafted the
city’s first historic preservation
ordinance, which was adopted
by the City Council in 1979.
Other members assisted in
developing the preservation
element of the city’s general
plan. The Society has placed
historic markers—the familiar
green plaques—on more than
700 historic homes in town to
date. Each plaque indicates the
date of construction and the
name of the owner at the time
the property was improved.
In addition, more than 70
buildings have been recognized
with bronze Heritage House
medallions. Annually, since
1978, the Heritage Society
has
presented
Heritage
House Awards to recognize
outstanding examples of historic
preservation, restoration, and
new construction that reflect
our community’s character.
Our most recent preservation
effort focuses on the Point
Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest
continuously
operating
lighthouse on the Pacific Coast,
opened in 1855. Dedicated
volunteers donate their time
and skills to restore and
rehabilitate the city-owned
structure, which is listed on the
National Register of Historic
Places.
Documentation: Heritage
Society members began
working with city staff in
1975 to inventory for the first
time historic homes in the
Pacific Grove Retreat district.
In the next two years, 528
structures were identified and
documented—378 single-family
homes, 50 duplexes and 100
multiple dwellings. Beginning
in 1977, Society members and
city staff photographed and
described 350 homes of historic
significance.
Led by Adam Weiland, the
Society next identified and
evaluated all homes built
before 1926. (The date was
chosen because Sanborn
Fire Insurance maps for 1926
could be used to document
the existence of buildings.)
This effort led to creation of
the city’s Historic Resources
Inventory.
In 2005, the
Heritage Society funded a
photographic inventory of the
more than 1,200 structures
on the Inventory.
The
Newsletter Staff
Editor
Jean Prock
Typesetting
A Volunteer
Contributing Editors
Don Beals
Carrol Patterson
Craig Riddell
Rebecca Riddell
Claudia Sawyer
Send your submissions to:
Jean Prock
The Heritage Society
of Pacific Grove
P.O. Box 1007
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
www.pacificgroveheritage.org
[email protected]
photographs can be seen at the
Barn in bound volumes and
on CD; they are also available
at the Public Library and the
Community
Development
Department.
Next issue: Publications and
historic replicas.
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P.O. Box 1007
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
THE Heritage
Society
of
Pacific Grove
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Pacific Grove,
CA 93950
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