QuarterlyFall09.qxp:Quarterlywtr05 final layout

QuarterlyFall09.qxp:Quarterlywtr05 final layout
8/14/09
9:31 AM
Page 26
HERITAGE SQUARE
40th Anniversary
Celebration
OCTAGON HOUSE
HALE HOUSE
PERRY HOUSE
B Y J E S S I C A M . R I VA S
Traveling down the Arroyo Seco
parkway, a person can be transported back to an earlier time in Los Angeles history. Driving along, it is
easy to imagine Fords and Packards
making their way downtown for a
shopping trip to one of the big department stores or heading to a
leisurely picnic at Westlake (now
MacArthur) Park. These mental images create nostalgia for the past and
often a desire to step back in time for
a visit. Heritage Square Museum has
been creating opportunities to step
into that past for the last 40 years.
Many Angelenos have passed by
the museum for years and either
never realized it was there or have
been meaning to stop, but never
T
26 THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE • FALL 2009
quite got around to it. Heritage
Square was formed in 1969 as the
Cultural Heritage Foundation of
Southern California, Inc. by a group
of citizens concerned with all the
destruction of historic buildings
they were witnessing in our region.
They worked to turn Heritage
Square into a haven for buildings of
architectural and historical significance that otherwise would have
been demolished. Within 20 years,
the museum had saved eight Victorian-era structures.
With the buildings saved and
preservation underway, a new focus
began to develop. Heritage Square
would continue to collect and preserve the architectural history of
Southern California but now interpreting and presenting that history
to visitors became an equally important goal. After all, what could be a
better use of the collection than offering people an opportunity to explore the past for a few hours?
Today, Heritage Square Museum
presents this history through events,
programs, exhibits and guided
tours. Every weekend, visitors are
guided through the buildings by
one of the knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers who introduce the
people who lived in the buildings
and provide an overview of what
their lives were like. It is easy to fall
in love with the park-like grounds
with its flowers, garden, plentiful
grass and of course, the beautiful
old buildings.
On the property there are five
residences, one church, a train station and a carriage barn. The museum store caries multiple books, souvenirs, children’s items and photographs.
A perennial favorite of guests to
Heritage Square is the fully restored
Queen Anne-Eastlake style Hale
House. Contrary to the advertisements for Ameritone Paint in the 70s
featuring the Hale house, the current exterior colors are authentic to
its initial hues. There are four shades
of green, three shades of red, yellow
trim, Victorian black, and red, white
and blue on the banner of stars and
stripes. It took about 100 gallons of
paint for its exterior alone.
This home is often referred to as
the jewel of the museum as it typifies Victorian style. Each building
however holds its own charm.
Mount Pleasant, with its fine
craftsmanship and elaborate detailing commands attention at the museum entrance. The LongfellowHastings Octagon Home is another
building not to be missed, with its
unique floorplan and newly reconstructed wraparound veranda. True
to its preservationist roots, restoration projects are constantly taking
place on the museum grounds so
that, with a keen eye, one can see
subtle improvements on the buildings with each visit.
In addition to the weekly tours, the
museum puts on various special
events and programs throughout the
year that recreate a bit of the past for
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HERITAGE SQUARE MUSEUM