James W. Lunsford The Ocean and the Sunset, The Hills and the Clouds: Looking at Santa Monica, illustrated by Alice N. Lunsford, 1983.
"At one o'clock we will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder, the Pacific Ocean, draped with a western sky of scarlet and gold; we will sell a bay filled with white-winged ships; we will sell a southern horizon, rimmed with a choice collection of purple mountains, carved in castles and turrets and domes; we will sell a frostless, bracing, warm, yet languid air, braided in and out with sunshine and odored with the breath of flowers. The purchaser of this job lot of climate and scenery will be presented with a deed of land 50 by 50 feet. The title to the ocean and the sunset, the hills and the clouds, the breath of life-giving ozone and the song of birds is guaranteed by the beneficent God who bestowed them in all their beauty."
-Tom Fitch, announcing the auction of the first Santa Monica lots in 1875
pp. 25-31
Civic Center-High School
"Santa Monica's Civic Center, including the City Hall, County Building, School District Offices, Civic Auditorium, and Rand Corporation, is located directly south of the downtown district in an area long inaccessible because of the deep arroyo now occupied by the Santa Monica Freeway. Finally opened to development in the mid-'20s by completion of the Main Street Bridge, the area was considered a prime location for some type of public use and was eventually selected as the site for a new Civic Center.
"As an interesting sidelight to the development of the Center, in 1936, the Evening Outlook and the Santa Monica Realty Board sponsored a Civic Center Design Competition that drew many participants from Southern California. One of the winners, Vernon C. Brunson, a young local resident more than forty years later became a member of the city's Architectural Review Board and designed the disability ramp on the south side of the City Hall steps.
"The Civic Center today includes a number of historical and noteworthy features, among them the following:
"1. Main Street Bridge. An open spandrel arch bridge completed in the mid-'20s. Remarkably similar plans for such a bridge were originally proposed in 1917 by Erminci Gamberi, a merchant on Second Street, to provide a better connection between Ocean Park and Santa Monica.
"2. Rand Corporation. 1700 Main Street., 1952. The corporate headquarters of the Rand Corporation, a private nonprofit organization engaged in research and analysis of matters affecting national security, the public interest, and the operation of educational programs.
"3. Biscailuz Memorial. Located in front of City Hall at the western end of the Rose Garden is a memorial to Eugene Biscailuz, a well-known Santa Monica resident and Los Angeles County Sheriff from 1936 to 1962. The memorial was erected by the Sons of the Revolution of the State of California.
"4. Memorial Rose Garden. Dedicated by the Gold Star Mothers of Santa Monica on November 11, 1951, to Santa Monica men and women who gave their lives in the service of their country. Oddly, although the bougainvillea is the official flower of Santa Monica, no bougainvilleas are planted at City Hall or, apparently, at any other municipal site.
"5. Dedication Plaque. Set in the walkway directly in front of the City Hall steps is a stone plaque, installed by the Native Sons of the Golden West, on November 25, 1939, dedicating the City Hall to Truth, Liberty, and Tolerance.
"6. Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street, 1938. Designed by architects Donald B. Parkinson and Joseph M. Estep, it was built as a Federal Emergency Public Works project. The colored tiles around the front door are Hermosa tiles made in Santa Monica by The Gladding - McBean Company, once one of the city's largest industries. Since its construction there have been two major additions - the Police Department in 1958, and a third-story attorney's office.
"7. City Hall Lobby. The two-story entrance lobby features brushed-bronze doors, railings, and chandelier, custom-designed by Parkinson and Estep. Other distinctive highlights are the decorative tile floors and walls, a terrazzo City Seal set into the lobby floor, and two large murals depicting significant events in Santa Monica's history and life.
"8. McDonald Wright Murals. 1939. These murals, situated on each side of the lobby, were designed and created by the internationally known artist and writer Stanton McDonald Wright. They are done in petrachrome, a then-new art medium developed by McDonald Wright on this very project, attracting nationwide interest. Described as "painting in concrete," petrachrome is an adaptation of the process of making terrazzo floors which uses a mixture of cement and crushed bits of tile, marble, and granite poured into place, hardened, and then polished smooth.
"The two panels represent the history and the then-present of Santa Monica. The north wall depicts the coming of the Spanish explorers, Gaspar de Portola and Junipero Serra, the Indian and Mexican occupations, and the legendary spring said to have reminded early soldiers of the tears of Saint Monica. The second panel, on the south wall, portrays more modern aspects of Santa Monica life, including sailboats and airplanes, beachgoers with striped umbrellas, road races, polo and tennis (both of which were especially popular in the '30s), a red chow-chow dog (a favorite breed of 1939), and a boy wearing "Keds" tennis shoes who is playing with a model airplane.
"The artist, Stanton McDonald Wright, was a Santa Monica resident, and a graduate of Santa Monica High School. He earlier painted the murals in the old Santa Monica Library which are now all stored in the Smithsonian Institution except for one panel on loan to the Santa Monica College Library. Wright's father was once manager of the famous Arcadia Hotel, and his brother was the well-known mystery writer S.S. Van Dyne.
"9. Historical Rancho Marker. Just to the right of the lobby doors is a bronze plaque noting that the original townsite of Santa Monica was part of the 30,000-acre Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica granted to Don Francisco Sepulveda in 1928 [1828?]. This marker was erected in June 1970 by the Beverly Hills Parlor of the Native Daughters of the Golden West.
"10. City Council Chambers. The City Council Chambers, located in the south wing of the second floor, contain two noteworthy items: a large unsigned portrait of Senator John P. Jones which hangs in the rear of the chamber, and a polished-brass replica of the City Seal, created by artist Franz Wambaugh in 1973.
"11. Police Department Memorial Wall. At the entrance to the Police Department on the east side of City Hall is a wall with plaques in memory of those officers who gave their lives in the line of duty protecting the citizens of Santa Monica, men such as William Blackett, Ronald Wise, Roland Morton, David Kohler, and William Davidson.
"12. County Building. 1725 Main Street, 1956. Situated midway between the City Hall and the Civic Auditorium, the County Building contains courtrooms and county offices. The original 1956 building, since added to, was designed by architects Robert Kliegman and Fred Barrienbrock.
"13. Civic Auditorium. 1855 Main Street, 1956. Designed by architect Welton Beckett, this modern auditorium is suitable for almost any type of event and was for many years the site of the annual Academy Awards shows.
"14. Santa Monica - Malibu Unified School District Offices, 1723 Fourth Street, 1956. Located on the western edge of the Santa Monica High School campus, the administration building was dedicated on April 27, 1956.
"15. Santa Monica High School, 601 Pico Boulevard. The cornerstone for the high school was laid on April 11, 1912, on what was once known as Prospect Hill; the campus has expanded over the years to its present size by incorporating the former Santa Monica College site.
"The high school contains a great many points of interest, especially the Memorial Open-Air Theater dedicated in 1921; Barnum Hall, dedicated to William F. Barnum, who served as principal from 1913 to 1943; a senior bench donated by the Classes of 1940 to 1943; an imposing Athletic Hall of Fame in the Men's Gymnasium; a trophy collection; the Freedom Shrine in the Administration Building; and the Hall of Fame in the History Building. Two special items of interest in Barnum Hall's lobby are a mosaic-tile mural depicting the landing of the Vikings and a four-foot-tall concrete owl that stood atop the original high school from 1913 until 1933, when an earthquake caused its removal.
Santa Monica Pier-Arcadia Terrace
"The Santa Monica Pier is probably the city's best-known and most widely recognized landmark. Although now entirely owned by the city, it was originally two different and separately owned structures until the city purchased the adjoining privately owned and operated Newcomb Pier. The original Santa Monica Pier portion is the oldest and longest wood piling pier in California. Initially constructed around 1912, though some argue for 1880, it is 1,640 feet long, including the concrete bridge extension, the roadway, and the upper- and lower-deck fishing areas.* The former Newcomb Pier, built in 1916, is that portion south of the roadway that contains most of the major amusement structures, including the Carousel Building.
"*Unfortunately, some portions of the Pier were severely damaged in the disastrous winter storms of 1983.
"The pier has special historical value, having been protected by an initiative in 1973 making its removal or alteration subject to a vote of Santa Monica citizens, and also having been designated an official landmark by both Los Angeles County and the City of Santa Monica. Frequently used for motion picture and television backgrounds, it was the site of the first live television broadcast of a musical variety program in 1948.
"Arcadia Terrace, the general area south of the pier between the Promenade and Ocean Avenue, derives its name from the famous Arcadia Hotel that once occupied much of the area. The hotel was named for Arcadia de Baker.
"While the pier is usually regarded as a single entity, it includes the following activities and features:
"1. Colorado Avenue Viaduct. The concrete entry bridge to the pier, constructed in 1939 by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, replaced the former grade-level extension that crossed the Appian Way-Pacific Coast Highway intersection.
"2. The Carousel or Merry-Go-Round. This uniquely recognizable building, built in 1916 as the Hippodrome, houses not only the recently renovated Merry-Go-Round but also a large collection of color photographs documenting the restoration process. The Merry-Go-Round, created in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, includes forty-four hand-carved horses. Initially installed in Cumberland Park, it was brought to Santa Monica in 1947 to replace the horses of the original 1916 Merry-Go-Round.
"3. Sinbad's. Regarded as possibly the oldest public building in Santa Monica, the Sinbad's building was originally a land-based power plant that was moved onto the pier to provide electricity for the La Monica Ballroom and other pier enterprises. The demise of the La Monica and the availability of other power sources eventually caused the power plant to be converted to other uses.
"4. Playland. One of the oldest continuously operating penny arcade-type amusement businesses in Southern California.
"5. Los Angeles County Landmark Plaque. A large bronze plaque installed on a simulated concrete piling designating the pier and "official" (sic) Los Angeles County Landmark, May 1975.
"6. Fishing Areas. Seaward of the amusement portion of the pier are the upper- and lower-deck fishing sections, equipped with benches and bait-cutting boards and served by a bait-and-supply store.
"7. Breakwater Monument. Located at the end of the pier is a plaque erected by the Native Sons of the Golden West commemorating the dedication of the Santa Monica breakwater in 1934.
"8. Pier and Marine Historical Exhibit. Displayed in a roofed pavilion at the end of the pier are collections of historical photographs and marine life exhibits.
"9. The Overlook Hotel, 1605 The Promenade. A small hotel with beachfront stores and restaurants on the first floor. Built in 1924, located directly opposite the Merry-Go-Round and below the Colorado Avenue Viaduct, the hotel is one of the most familiar buildings on the beachfront.
"10. Arcadia Hotel Bricks, 1653 - 1661 Appian Way. During the excavation for the foundation of this building in 1948, a number of bricks from the original foundation of the Arcadia Hotel, circa 1800s, were turned up, and one of the bricks was imbedded in the foundation of the new building.
"11. 1712 Appian Way. Once the home of Benedict and Nancy Freedman, authors of Mrs. Mike, the story of the wife of a Northwest Mounted Policeman which was made into a successful motion picture. They also wrote "Lootville," "The Spark and the Exodus," and "Tresca."
"12. Sea Castle Apartments, 1725 The Promenade. Originally constructed as the Breakers Beach Club in 1926, it soon became the Grand Hotel. It was subsequently known as the Chase and Monica Hotels before being converted to apartments in the early '60s, and renamed the Sea Castle. The name "Breakers" can still be made out on the marquee over the entrance, even though the concrete letters have been partially chiseled away. One of the brightest moments in the life of the Grand Hotel occurred in 1934 during a reopening attended by film stars Jean Harlow, Anita Page, Joan Crawford, Ida Lupino, Alan Mowbray, and Maureen O'Sullivan."
"Ocean Park
"One of the oldest sections of Santa Monica, Ocean Park had its beginning in 1893 when the Santa Fe Railroad constructed a passenger station and baggage room at what is now the intersection of Hill Street and Neilson Way and planted a few trees and grass on nearby plot of ground that was then called Ocean Park. The name clung and eventually was extended to the entire area. The original station was razed in 1920. There is some evidence that the trees had been planted before 1893 by either W.S. Vawter or E.J. Vawter, who wished to improve their real estate tract. Ocean Park, comprising the area south of Pico and west of Lincoln, is rich in notable sties. Starting from Pico and The Promenade, one can find the following points of interest:
1. Pritikin Longevity Center, 1910 The Promenade. The former Casa Del Mar Beach Club, at the foot of Pico and The Promenade, the five-story club, built in 1924, was the largest of the several beach clubs along the ocean front. It remained in use until the '60s, when it became the headquarters of the Synanon Foundation and, more recently, the Pritikin Longevity Center.
2. Crescent Bay Park, Bay Street and The Promenade. One of the three oldest parks in Santa Monica, it was originally known as Southside Park, and included the area on the other side of Bay Street as well.
3. Neilson Way. The former Trolleyway, it was originally a railroad right-of-way with tracks which was converted to street use in the '30s. It is named for George A. Neilson, a city commissioner of the '30's and '40's and an Ocean Park resident.
4. Main Street. The principal commercial street serving Ocean Park. It has become a popular entertainment area, with restaurants, bars, boutiques and businesses of a highly individualized style.
5. Pioneer Boulangeries, 2012 Main at Bay. A Basque bakery, restaurant, delicatessen and wine shop with both indoor and outdoor eating areas.
6. Pacific Park, Main and Pacific. A small, half-acre public park also known as "The Green."
7. Christie Court, 125 Pacific. Built in 1924, this is a good example of the "California Court" style of dwellings. It was also the first Santa Monica residential development to be equipped with a radio in every unit.
8. Ocean Park Community Gardens, Main and Hollister. City owned garden plots loaned to individual residents for growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
9. Horatio West Court, 140 Hollister Avenue. Four two-story all-concrete houses built in 1919 by internationally famous architect Irving Gill and restored in the early 1970s. The development was designated a Santa Monica City Landmark in 1979 and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
10. Crystal Beach, foot of Hollister. Site of the former Crystal Pier, a popular amusement pier known also as the Hollister Pier, the Bristol Pier, the Nat Goodwin Pier (after the well-known Nat Goodwin Cafe located at the entrance). Built of oak, the pier was finally razed in 1949.
11. Central Beach-Wadsworth Hollister Tract. A neighborhood of turn-of-the-century homes, including many Victorian-style structures and narrow streets, which is often described as a neighborly "front porch" community. A great deal of restoration and renovation has taken place.
12. Jane Fonda House, 154 Wadsworth Ave. One-time home of Academy Award winning actress Jane Fonda and Assemblyman Tom Hayden. Fonda received the Best Actress Award in 1971 for Klute and again in 1978 for Coming Home.
13. Beach Park No. 1, foot of Ocean Park Boulevard. A 1.2 acre public beach park combining parking, picnic tables, and barbecues adjoining The Promenade and the beach.
14. Barnard Way. Ocean front drive along the route of the former Speedway, named for Ben A. Barnard, former mayor and Santa Monica College Instructor.
15. Santa Monica Shores Golf Course. Barnard and Ocean Park. A nine-hole, par-three golf course situated on the not-yet-developed portion of the Ocean Park Redevelopment Project.
16. Santa Monica Shores, 2700 Neilson Way. Twin seventeen-story apartments built in 1964 by the Del Webb Corporation as the initial phase of a proposed redevelopment project. The architects were Welton Beckett and Associates.
17. Sea Colony, 2910 Neilson Way. A seaside residential development consisting of 144 townhouses and condominiums built in 1978 by Lincoln Properties as part of the redevelopment program.
18. Neilson Villas. A 100-unit senior residential development built as part of the Ocean Park Redevelopment Project.
19. Marine Street Telephone Exchange, Neilson and Barnard Way. Built in 1926 for the Associated Telephone Company, which later became part of the General Telephone company, it was the only building in the redevelopment area not moved or demolished. It has been redecorated but the individualistic facade was preserved.
20. Barnard Park Villas, Barnard and Neilson, 1982. A sixty-one unit senior residential project built by the U.S. Condominium Corporation.
21. Mishkon Tephilo Temple, 206 Main Street. This temple, dedicated in 1948, is the Mishkon Tephilo Talmud Torah Synagogue.
22. Power House Theater, 3116 Second Street. A small theater operating in a former electric power station located on Second Street just south of Marine. The building, constructed about 1911, once supplied electrical power to the "Big Red Cars" that operated in the beach communities.
23. St. Clement's Church and School, 3102 Third Street. St. Clement's Church was established in 1904 by Father Patrick Hawe of St. Monica's Church.
24. Carlton Apartments, 3001 Main Street. A five-story apartment and commercial building originally constructed by the Santa Monica Elks Lodge in 1926 as a meeting hall and clubhouse with fifty-one sleeping rooms. The concrete letters "B.P.O.E." which stands for "Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks," are still visible on the front and side of the building, near the roof.
25. Parkhurst Building, 185 Pier Avenue. A two-story ornate brick commercial building built in 1927 by C. Gordon Parkhurst, a prominent realtor and next-to-last mayor of Venice. The architect, Norman F. Marsh, also designed Windward Avenue in Venice. His firm, Marsh, Smith and Powell, designed Washington and Roosevelt Schools in Santa Monica. The structure was designated a Santa Monica City Landmark in 1977 and has also been placed on the National Register of Historical Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
26. Pier Avenue Street Lights, Pier Avenue between Neilson Way and Main Street. Located in the block are four concrete candelabra "La Lux" street lights, the only remaining examples of these once-prevalent lights in Santa Monica, other than those on Broadway.
27. The Famous Enterprise Fish Company, 174 Kinney Street. A seafood restaurant housed in a former Pacific Electric Railway car barn and repair shop.
28. Virginia Apartments, 2804 1/2 Main Street. The long-time home of Bertha May King, undefeated World Women's Billiards Champion, who held the championship from 1910 until her retirement in 1928.
29. Mendota Josephina's Block, 2667 Main Street, northeast corner of Hill and Main. An early commercial building restored to its original condition that is now owned by Comedian Bill Cosby.
30. New Orleans Building and Clock, 2665 Main Street. Architect James Mount designed this 1979 commercial building that prominently displays a large antique-style street clock outside.
31. Josephina's, 2654 Main Street. An Italian restaurant located in a former Safeway and Piggly-Wiggly market building. The interior decor includes a replica of a Pacific Electric "Big Red Car".
32. Chronicle Restaurant, 2624 Main Street. A gourmet restaurant in a restored Victorian house that was formerly located at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Washington. Built about 1900 and once known as the Kyte House, in 1976 it was moved to its present location along with the adjoining Roy Jones House to form Heritage Square.
33. Roy Jones House, 2620 Main Street. An 1894 Victorian house originally the home of Roy Jones, nephew of Senator John P. Jones, it was moved in 1976 from its initial location at 1007 Ocean Avenue and is now a public museum operated by the Heritage Square Museum Society.
34. Mural, Early Ocean Park Scene, southeast corner of Main and Ocean Park. Probably one of the most recognizable murals in the city, it was painted in 1976 by Jane Golden and sponsored by Citywide Mural Projects.
35. Ocean Park Branch Library, 2601 Main Street, 1917. One of the few remaining Carnegie Foundation Libraries in Southern California. Built with a $12,500 Carnegie Grant and designed by architect Frank Kegly, the building was designated a Santa Monica City Landmark in 1977.
36. Merle Norman Building, 2627 Main Street, 1936. One of the outstanding Main Street structures, the unique exterior design was created by H.G. Thursby. The building initially was the Merle Norman Cosmetics Plant. Norman Place, the short street between the Merle Norman building and the library, was originally Sand Street.
37. Mural, Tropical Scene, 2339 Main Street, corner of Main and Hollister. This mural, depicting a tropical lagoon with exotic birds, was designed and rendered by Mike Caple.
38. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2303 Second Street. Situated on the southeast corner of Second and Strand Streets, this church, with its distinctive copper steeple, was built in 1922 and enlarged in 1961.
39. Haig House, 237 Beach Street, circa 1885. This small house, currently being restored and renovated, is undoubtedly one of the oldest residential structures in the city, although its exact age has not yet been established.
40. Hostetter House, 2601 Second Street, corner of Beach and Second. This distinctive corner house, formerly owned by Moses Hostetter, is also a candidate for being one of the oldest residential buildings in the city. It is believed to have been built about 1890 although, again, its exact age has yet to be established.
41. Former First Methodist Episcopal Church Building, 2621 Second Street. Now a private residence, the north portion of this building was originally built in 1875 at the southwest corner of Sixth and Arizona and may be the oldest standing wood-frame building in the city. In 1882 it was moved to the southwest corner of Fourth and Arizona, then in 1900 to Ocean Park, where it became the Ocean Park Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1923 the church built a new brick structure and the old church became a meeting hall known as Patriotic Hall. It was purchased by the Stephen Jackson Women's Relief Corps No. 124 of the Grand Army of the Republic Auxiliary and used as a meeting hall until 1971, when it was sold and became a residence. It was designated a Santa Monica City Landmark in 1977.
42. Church in Ocean Park, 235 Hill Street. A United Methodist Church established in 1913, the present brick church building was built in 1923.
43. Iglesia El Sermon de Monte, 2701 Second Street. This Assembly of God Church, originally the First Baptist Church, was constructed in 1914.
44. Ocean Park Community Organization, 237 Hill Street. The organization is located in a building originally moved here in 1923 from the present vacant lot at the northwest corner of Third and Ocean Park; the building was used for many years as the parsonage for the church next door.
45. Ocean Park Community Center, 245 Hill Street. Community services are contained in the former Archer House, home of Alvin N. Archer, one of the city's original Charter Freeholders who were elected in 1903.
46. Santa Monica Alternative School House, 2802 Fourth Street. The former Washington School, at the northwest corner of Fourth and Ashland. The oldest existing school site in Santa Monica was established as Washington School in 1890 and has been in continuous school use since. The present building was constructed in 1934 after the 1933 earthquake and is patterned after the "Santa Monica Plan" developed by the architectural firm of Marsh, Smith and Powell, who also designed the Roosevelt School at Lincoln and Montana. The "Santa Monica Plan," incorporating outdoor activity areas immediately accessible to classrooms, was a result of experiences incurred by having to hold classes in tents for a year after the earthquake.
47. Herman Michel House, 3014 Third Street. The former house of Herman Michel, who established the first dairy in Los Angeles County in the 1880s near the intersection of Seventeenth and Santa Monica Boulevard. The dairy was later moved to the present site at Fourth and Rose in Venice.
48. Vawter House, 504 Pier Avenue. A blue shingled house built in 1908 by E.J. Vawter, Sr., one of the early developers of Ocean Park.
49. Whale Mural, south wall of the Fourth Street underpass. Painted by Dan Alonzo in 1982, the mural depicts several varieties of whales. Alonzo also did the mural on the south wall of the Howard Hamilton Memorial Building at Marine Park.
50. Mural, Growth of Santa Monica, north wall of the Fourth Street underpass. Painted by Jane Golden in 1982, the mural depicts the growth of Santa Monica. Golden has also done a number of murals throughout the city.
51. Merle Norman House, 2533 Third Street, 1935. A large, two-story house designed and built by Merle Norman on the same site as her former house, which was moved to 740 Raymond Avenue. The Merle Norman Cosmetics Company is one of the largest cosmetic firms in the world.
52. Mary Hotchkiss Park, Fourth and Strand. A two-acre public park left to the City of Santa Monica by Mary A. Jaunch in 1934. The site was the former location of the Mooney Mansion, for many years regarded as a "haunted house" because Mrs. Jaunch's first husband was shot to death there in 1884 and the murderer was never found. She later married Colonel Hotchkiss, an attorney for the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1905 they left Santa Monica and the mansion stood vacant for several years, eventually being torn down and replaced by a number of other structures. At the time the city acquired the property, the site was occupied by an abandoned gas station and several dilapidated buildings. Mrs. Jaunch, marrying for the third time, never returned to Santa Monica.
53. Sculpture, Oneness, Eino Romppanen, 1966. This large sculpture, located at the Third Street frontage of Mary Hotchkiss Park, was the gift to Mr. Romppanen to the City. Most of the work on the statue was done in the Del Mar Club.
54. The Baron's Castle, 2103 Third Street. A Moorish villa designed and erected in 1907 by Nicolas Baida, a Syrian-born art dealer. With its three stories topped off by a large dome and its elaborately landscaped grounds, it was known as "The Palace" in its early years. In 1920 and 1921 it served as a convalescent home for veterans of World War I. It was eventually acquired by Baron Michel Leone, a professional wrestler who built the new portions of the building and gave it the name "Baron's Castle."
55. Metal Sculpture, Trident Apartments, 2045 Fourth Street. This metal structure, erected in the entry court and visible from Fourth Street, is in the form of a large twisted trident that actually swings on a base anchored by a heavy stone. It is titled, "Capella Motion - an Icon to the Great Cosmic Perversity."
56. Phillips Chapel, CME Church, 401 Bay Street. This may be the oldest continuously occupied public building in the city. Originally built in either 1890 or 1895 as the Washington School at Fourth and Ashland, it was later moved to this site and dedicated on October 4, 1908. It was remodeled in 1910 and again in 1949, but the original architecture of the building has been retained.
57. Bowling Pin House, 2032 Sixth Street. Picturesque two-story house featuring a second story balcony formed by bowling pins.
58. Los Amigos Park, Fifth and Ocean Park. This three-acre city recreation park is the former site of John Adams Junior High School, which was built in 1913 and abandoned after the 1933 earthquake when the new junior high school was built at 16th and Pearl. The land was leased to the city for park purposes in 1949 after having been used by the Army as a recreation center and by the Navy as a training site. It was for many years the location of the Morgan Theatre, which occupied the former Army recreation hall as a community theater until it was destroyed by fire in 1966.
59. Ocean Park Boulevard Children's Center, 2626 Sixth Street. A public preschool and child-care center operated by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in one corner of Los Amigos Park.
60. Joslyn Park, 633 Kensington Road. A two-and-a-half acre Santa Monica City Park built on the former Walter G. McGinley Estate that was purchased by the city in 1958 with funds donated by Marcellus Joslyn. The walls, wrought-iron fence, and major trees are all part of the original McGinley Estate.
Joslyn, a Westwood manufacturer and philanthropist, was a Santa Monica High School graduate whose family is said to have been in Santa Monica for five generations. Joslyn's grandfather built the first wooden stairs down the Palisades bluff, as well as the landmark Violet Cottage that stood on Third Street near Wilshire for many years. Marcellus Joslyn also contributed the bowling green at Douglas Park and the Senior Recreation Center at Palisades Park, as well as recreational facilities in other cities.
61. Murals, Early Ocean Park and Venice Scenes, Arthur Mortimer, 1982. A three-panel mural at the Kensington Road entry to Joslyn Park depicts a bath house and ocean front in 1906, the boardwalk between Venice and Ocean Park in 1912, and Pier Avenue in 1904.
62. John Muir Elementary School, 721 Ocean Park Boulevard. Established in 1922 and rebuilt in 1934 following the 1933 earthquake, the school was originally a two-story building.
63. Mural, John Muir Woods, northwest corner of Lincoln and Ocean Park. A two-panel mural, fronting two sides of the John Muir Auditorium, depicts forests, mountains and streams; it was painted by Jane Golden in 1976.
64. Copeland Court. A two-block subdivision with a center pedestrian walkway and no street running between Sixth and Seventh Streets, Copeland Courts was laid out by E.J. Vawter and F.M. Leavitt in 1912.
65. Apartment House, 2807 Highland Avenue. A hilltop apartment designed in 1961 by prominent architect Frank Gehry who designed the Santa Monica Place shopping center.
66. Original Merle Norman House, 740 Raymond Avenue. A one-story frame cottage previously located at 2533 Third Street and moved here in 1935. It was in this house that Merle Norman developed the cosmetics that became the foundation of the Merle Norman Cosmetic Company.
67. Elephant Mural, 702 Pier Avenue. On the southside of an apartment house is this dramatic mural of two elephants. Painted by A.S. Bloomfield in 1981, it is best viewed from Seventh Street.
68. Ozone Park, Seventh and Ozone. A small narrow park with children's play equipment, including a much climbed giant shoe.
69. Olsen House, 804 Navy Street. This bright yellow cottage just west of Lincoln Boulevard was once the home of Robert E. Olsen, inventor of the stoplight for automobiles in 1912, as well as of the "picture mill," a coin-operated camera in a booth similar to those used today in amusement centers.
pp. 32 - 40.