Calendar2010 Heritage House Awards May 28by Donna Stewart

2010 Heritage House Awards May 28by Donna Stewart

2010 Heritage House Awards May 28Volume 10, Issue 5 May 2010

The Heritage Society of Pacifi c Grove

Dedicated to Maintaining the Beauty and Individuality of Pacifi c GroveNEWSLETTER

May is National Preservation Month and on May 28 at 7:00

p.m. the annual Heritage House Awards will be held at the Natural History Museum on Central Avenue. This year Neil Hotelling will give a short talk on local history. The Heritage Society will be recognizing structures that have qualified in their respective categories: Preservation Award, Rehabilitation Award, Commercial Award and the New Construction Award. We will also recognize our Centennial

Homes as a display on the Yadon Wall with images taken by Mr. Matthew Kelly’s Advanced Photographs Class of 2009 of those homes that turn 100 years old in 2010. Several green plaques will also be presented to qualified homes. We look forward to seeing you there.

All opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the

offi cial positions of the Board of Directors, but are meant to stimulate interest in and

discussion of preservation issues.discussion of preservation issues.discussion of preservation issues

This home, designed by architect Julia Morgan, is a past recipient of a Heritage House award. Photo by Tony Prock.

mayPG HERITAGE SOCIETY ANNUAL

HERITAGE HOUSE AWARDSPacifi c Grove – Museum of

Natural HistoryMay 28

BOB DAVIS MEMORIAL RECEPTION

Pacifi c Grove – Point Pinos Grill, Golf Course

May 29

JUNE“HAPPY TRAILS” CONFERENCE OF CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETIES ANNUAL MEETING

Wrightwood, CaliforniaJune 24-27

OCTOBERHISTORIC HOME TOUR

ARTISTS IN CHAUTAUQUAHERITAGE BIRDHOUSES

Pacifi c GroveOctober 3

Remembering Bob Davis

By Steve Honegger

Heritage Society board member Bob Davis died on April 14, 2010.

Bob’s love and attention were given, in order of importance, to his wife

Toni and sons, his cats, and then the city of Pacific Grove. His retired life was dedicated to making Pacific Grove a better place. The hours he spent and

the detail to which he went to achieve this were phenomenal. We, the Heritage Society, were very fortunate that Bob focused so much of his life on our cause. He selected and volunteered for projects that were daunting to us, continually giving us updates on his progress until they were completed.

Rather than just casting a vote to save an historic house and being done with it, Bob would organize and complete a digital pictorial inventory

Chinese Village

Remembered

A silent walk was held on A silent walk was held on A Sunday, May 16 to honor A Sunday, May 16 to honor A descendents of residents A descendents of residents A of the Chinese fishing village in Pacific Grove that burned to the ground on May 16, 1906. Participants joined Gerry Low-Sabado, a direct descendent of the fishing village, and Pacific Grove Mayor Carmelita Garcia. The event began with a recep-tion at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, with refresh-ments provided by the Heritage Society. There was a brief talk and a viewing of the descriptive panels used in the Museum’s 2009 exhibition on the Chinese Fishing Village. This was fol-lowed by a walk from Lovers Point to the Stanford Hopkins Marine Station, the site of the Chinese village.

The tragic history of the Chinese fishing village was the topic of a Heritage Society lecture in March. Chinese immigrants settled on the coast of the Monterey Bay and started the first successful industrial fishing operation in the area. Their large daily catches of abalone, fish and squid were sold all over California and as far away as China, producing large income flows for both the Chinese and the Monterey Peninsula. Sadly, the villagers were forced out of their homes by the 1906 fire and subsequent eviction by the landholder. Residents of the village dispersed, and their once-thriving community seemed to disappear into the fog.

[For more information about the Chinese village, read “’Ghosts in the Flames’ Lecture Will Explore Chinese Legacy” in the February 2010 issue of this newsletter.]

Lecture Proves a

MembershipBonanza

The Heritage Society’s March lecture, “Ghosts in the Flames,” proved a

bonanza for attracting new members. Attendees were offered one-year memberships with their $10 admission fee. As a result, the Society gained 130 new members for 2010. We welcome the following new members who joined at the lecture:

Heidi Alonzo, Lynn Bomberger, Barrie O’Brien and Troy Challenger, Norma Cocklin, Margaret Daugherty, Inge Lorentzen Daumer, Raymond Davi, Heather Brady and Pete DeQuincy, Donald Donohugh, Mary and Emil Font, Hank Garcia, Diane Glim, Michael and Gloria Ipson, John and Momoyo Ishizuka, Art Jackson, Barry Kohler, Bekki Kroh, Susan Phillips, Lyle Quock, Carol Ryan, Marlene Stamm, Thomas Streeter, Kathleen Sullivan, Ann Wieser, Normi Burke, Bruce Doneux, Barbara Furbush, Walter Gourlay, Del and Myrna Meyer, Joe and Judy Neary, Nancy Selfridge, Linda Abbey, Rosemary Abell, Lynn Altenburg, Jerry Archer, Edward Botsford, Suzi Brauner-Tatum, Mary Hill and James

added and donations. I have no idea where he had to go to gather this information or how much time he spent, but it was complete and accurate.

These are examples of Bob’s style. Everything Bob attempted was done “full bore,” and he was thorough to the extreme. Bob helped me tremendously over the years with the Planning Commission, City Council and Heritage Society. He was a true scholar who knew what it took to make real, long-lasting, positive changes happen.

Bob’s family invites the public to a reception in his memory on Saturday, May 29 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Point Pinos Grill at the Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course.

Photo of Bob Davis courtesy of the Pacifi c Grove Hometown Bulletin

of all 1,264 buildings on our Historic Resources Inventory. Rather than just looking up a detail in our paper copies of the “Board and Batten” for an article he was writing--and he wrote many--he scanned 25 years’ worth of issues, created an index by name, street and topic, and provided a table of contents for each issue (all on one disc).

When the board was considering reviving the lecture series, questions arose about costs, attendance, membership and participation. At our next meeting, Bob presented us a handout with a matrix of all our previous lectures, beginning in 2002; it included speaker fees, auditorium rent, equipment cost, income, new members

Send Us Your Photos

The Heritage Society is looking for old photos of homes in Pacific Grove to

add to our archives. We are seeking photos taken up to the year 1930. If you have any such pictures, preferably with infor-mation to accompany them, please send them to Don Beals,

Bryant, Alison Burleigh, Julie Campbell, April Cardenas, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Castanos, Carl Chan, Deborah Stark and Steve Cooperstein, Mary Corey, David Delfino, Fatima Dias, Chris Essert, Linda and Howard Fosler, Suzi Gabri, Gael Gallagher, Henry Gong, William and Thuy Grimes, Don Gruber, Peggy Hansen, Rick Hoover, Doug Howe, Adrienne Huckle, M. and J. Hudson, Anne Jones, Susie Joyce, Pamela and Steven Jungerberg, Heidi Feldman and Gary Karnes, William and Bende Kelly, Kimiye Kendall, Ellie Kincade, Jan Klinefelter and Rick Hayman, Jeff Lauzman, Judi Lehman, Marty Lewis, LaVern Baker Leyva, Elena Loomis, Susan Lueken, Linda Manolis, Lorraine McDonough, John Molskufeka, Robert Momand, Philip and Marie Morgan, Frank Myers, Don and Marcia Napoli, Raymond Napolitan, Gail Nonella, Brigitte Olson, Deborah Owdom, Melinda Rose Pereira, Stella Rabaut, Jay

Upcoming Events

Elsewhere“Happy Trails” Conference

of California Historical Societies Annual Meeting– June 24-27, Wrightwood, California. Jointly hosted by the Victor Valley Museum and the historical societies of Wrightwood, Mojave, Big Bear and Rim of the World, this event will emphasize the rich and unique history of the high desert region near San Bernardino and the San Gabriel Mountains. There will be tours of the region, a one-man performance by Wyatt Earp (his great-grand nephew), and a presentation by the daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Registration is $25 for members, $35 for non-members; additional charges for specific events. For information, email John Lenau of the Wrightwood Historical Society at jalkd1@yahoo.com

The Pacifi c Grove Performing Arts Center, where 130 new members joined at our March lecture. Photo by Tony Prock.

Ray, Rudy and Beverly Reate, B. Revel, Maritzn Ravelo, Hans Rogge, Russ Schwanz, Arnold Seibel, Andrew and Karen Sheppard, Kate Spracher, Gary Spradlin, Amanda Baker and Peter Symons, Alice Tao, Vonda Tibbitts, Kathryn Trimble, Cheryl Trotter, Mark and Hennah Walker, Gail Wind, Daniel Wolf, William Woo, Darlene Wright and Chris LeVentor.

Fall Preservation Workshop

The Alliance of Monterey Area Preservationists (AMAP) will present a fall

workshop called “Case Studies on the Preservation of Historical Materials.” According to the AMAP newsletter, it will “be ‘down and dirty,’ with presenta-tions from technical experts who deal with real materials working with real buildings. We will go into the preservation of materials, including wood, stone, adobe, tile, paint and all the rest that make up our beloved structures.” For date, time and details, contact info@amap1.org.

Pacifi c Grove:

Hollywood North

The beauty of Pacific Grove has not escaped the notice of Hollywood.

Over the years, our hometown has been the location for scenes, or entire movies.

It began in 1916 with “Eye of the Night,” filmed on the

Heritage Society of Pacific Grove, P. O. Box 1007, Pacific Grove, CA 93950.

NewMembersRichard Leon-Guerrero

Joseph J. ShammasJim and Kathy TurleyAl and Robin Sparks

Membership Count:1276

Devil’s Daughter” included scenes in PG. In this horror flick, a young girl is told by Satan that she must marry a demon.

We didn’t say they were all good films—only that they had a good location!

THE Heritage Society

of Pacific Grove

P.O. Box 1007Pacifi c Grove, CA 93950

Nonprofi t Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 30Pacifi c Grove,

CA 93950

Newsletter StaffEditor

Jean ProckTypesettingA Volunteer

Contributing EditorsDon Beals

Steve HoneggerClaudia Sawyer

Maryanne SpradlingDonna Stewart

Send your submissions to: Jean Prock

The Heritage Society of Pacifi c GroveP.O. Box 1007

Pacifi c Grove, CA 93950www.pacifi cgroveheritage.org

info@pacifi cgroveheritage.org

Return Service Requested

“A Summer Place” in PG, not Maine,photo by Tony Prock

beach and at Point Pinos Lighthouse. The movie, set in an English fishing village, concerns a lighthouse keeper who befriends an unmarried mother, then discovers that she is his long-lost daughter. Our lighthouse also featured in “Captain January” (1936), starring Shirley Temple and Buddy Ebsen.

Pacific Grove doubled for Cape Breton in “Johnny Belinda,” a 1948 hit starring Jane Wyman. “Primrose Path” (1940) featured scenes by the water in PG. Ginger Rogers played a poor girl who falls in love with an ambitious young

man, played by Joel McCrea. Although considered shocking (banned in Detroit), the film was nominated for an Oscar.

In 1959, a crew came to the Peninsula to film “A Summer Place,” with Dorothy McGuire, Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. This story of middle-aged adultery and teen love was set on the Maine coast. A PG house played the part of the Pine Island Inn.

More recently, Clint Eastwood’s classic “Play Misty For Me” (1971) included shots in PG. “Turner and Hooch,” a 1989 police drama starring Tom Hanks and Mare Winningham,

was shot primarily in Pacific Grove with scenes filmed along Ocean View Boulevard, in the historic Retreat section, and downtown. A real estate office on Lighthouse Avenue was transformed into a church for a wedding scene.

Pacific Grove has been on television, too, notably in the 1983 Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “The Winter of Our Discontent.” Based on the Steinbeck novel, it starred Donald Sutherland, Tuesday Weld and storefronts and houses in town.

Finally, a 1973 Shelley Winters TV movie called “The