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THE
PRESERVATIONIST The Whittier Conservancy Newsletter - Spring 2005 |
Community Meeting
Examines Reuse of Nelles
by Charles Claver Over 200 Whittier residents, business owners, and interested parties attended the March 17 informational meeting on the potential redevelopment plans for the 73.8-acre Fred C. Nelles property on Whittier Boulevard. Informational "stations" were set up around the conference room where attendees were able to learn about the history of the property, the City's development goals, maps of the local area and property, and finally record how they would like the property to be developed. Comments included building new restaurants, quality housing, no apartments, increased park space, impact on local schools, and preserving some of the property's 80-year-old buildings. The meeting was hosted by the City of Whittier and the Greenleaf Development Team, which have partnered to buy the land from the State of California and convert it into a mix of housing and commercial buildings. According to Jeff Collier, head of the City's Community Redevelopment Department, the development team will take suggestions from the meeting to form the early stages of a development plan for the site. The Whittier Daily News reported that the City is in negotiations to buy the site from the State before a June 30 deadline and hopes to host two more community input meetings before then. The next meetingis scheduled for sometime in May, when some generic ideas for theproperty will be shared, based on initial resident input anddevelopment goals set by the City and development team. The Whittier Conservancy views with excitement the potential for successful mixed-use redevelopment of the property and we commend the City and the development team for reaching out to the community for input on how to proceed with development for the site. The Conservancy is committed to being involved in the public development process in favor of preservation and creative reuse of the significant historic buildings; quality, owner occupied housing; and quality, new office/commercial space to increase property values and tax revenues. See related article on page 3. [page 1]
President's Letter
by Dorothea Boyd Dear Conservancy Members, This is the welcoming time of
the year for the Conservancy – a time to welcome both new and
seasoned members. Dorothea Boyd
Bob Chavez, Director of Whittier's Parks Department, says he expects
to get Caltrans approval in May to proceed with the Greenway Trail.
Path surfacing could then begin as soon as June. The Puente Hills Habitat Authority will hold an Earth Day Celebration in Powder Canyon, East Road @ Fullerton Road in La Habra Heights, on Saturday, April 23 at 3:30 p.m. [page 2]
Nelles Then and Now by Rosie Seelt The Nelles School site on Whittier Boulevard today stands poised to inject some much needed energy into Whittier's economy—just as it did in the early 1890's. Nelles opened on July 1, 1891 following the collapse of the land boom of 1887-1889. Times were hard for the young town, so the construction and the subsequent opening of the "State Reform School for Juvenile Offenders," as it was originally known, provided employment to many needy Whittier residents and helped to revive the area's economy. Hervey Lindley of Los Angeles led the campaign to locate the school in Whittier and the Pickering Land and Water Company offered to donate forty acres if the State would take an option on the adjoining 120 acres at $200 an acre, which it did through a bond indenture. The school was the first State youth corrections school in California and the first State building in Southern California. The school's name has been changed twice. In 1893 it was renamed "Whittier School of Trades and Agriculture," and in 1941 it was changed to "Fred C. Nelles School for Boys." Both boys and girls were admitted to the school. The girl's facilities were located on the far northeast corner of the property, segregated and exclusive. All were required to attend school daily and while the boys learned a trade the girls were taught household management. During those early years, there was a summer encampment on Catalina Island and on Sunday afternoons Whittier residents gathered on the school's lawn to listen to band concerts played by the boys. In 1916 the girls were moved to a new facility in Ventura. During the 1920s and 30s those cadets (as the boys were known) who showed good behavior were rewarded with a trip to the movies in Uptown Whittier. Sadly, over time the school went from being an institution for wayward children to a prison housing hundreds of male juveniles, all of whom had committed serious crimes. Over the course of the school's 115-year history many buildings have come and gone. The original four-story brick and stone administration building with a central clock tower which stood facing the terminus of Philadelphia Street was destroyed by fire in 1913. The oldest buildings standing today on the school's remaining 73.8-acre campus are two residences dating to 1920 and 1926, the 1923 auditorium, the 1929 administration building, the 1931 maintenance garage, the 1933 chapel/training center, and the 1934 gymnasium. The State's closure of the school last June has given Whittier the unique opportunity of being able to purchase the site and hopefully develop it into an economically thriving area that will inspire confidence in our town's future. The Whittier Conservancy envisions high-quality new development that will fit in well with the surrounding community and will integrate the site's historic buildings into its new design. Commission Fails to Approve Condos' Environmental
Study [page 3]
It's Time to Renew
Your Whittier Conservancy Membership!
Your annual membership contribution supports the non-profit Whittier Conservancy’s work of preserving and enhancing Whittier’s unique character and quality of life and entitles you to free issues of The Preservationist. To renew your membership or become a new member, simply fill out the form below, and mail it along with your check in the enclosed envelope. [page 4] |
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