RE: The Sylmar Earthquake - Day 250 - Haiku - Remembering the Earthquake that Shook Me Awake, in More Ways Than One
I am saddened, and a bit sickened, to relate that all of the Victorian mansions on Bunker Hill, where Angels Flight is located, were razed by the late 1960s. Not a single example remains standing.
That the destruction occurred while I was still living there, and yet I remained unaware of the fact until now, is evidence of how little fanfare there was in the local papers at the time.
Two of the mansions were saved by a years-long petition, declared historical buildings, and moved to nearby Heritage Park, where they were to be restored as an homage to the original residential neighborhood.
But the joy was short-lived, as vandals broke into the homes almost immediately, and set fire to both houses a few months later, burning both to the ground in mere minutes. Eighty years of history gone with in a puff of smoke. Damn.
Happily some of the surrounding cities had at least a bit more respect for their beauty; Pasadena, as just one example, still has a number of Victorian mansions, though the vast majority are now multifamily dwellings.
And Santa Monica, while we were still living there, moved one of their gorgeous mansions to a nearby property, again as the result of a petition to prevent it from being demolished, where it was converted into a lovely restaurant. God only knows if it is still there today.
Los Angeles has an unfortunate history of tearing down even its most cherished and notable landmarks, such as the Brown Derby restaurant, that once served a constellation of stars and other luminaries in Hollywood's heyday, all in the name of "progress."
More like stupidity, coupled with an utter lack of respect, if you ask me.
The link below is a great site on the neighborhood that existed prior to the demolition of Bunker Hill, as the hill itself was literally mostly leveled and carted away as part of the "improvements," with many of the posts written by a gentleman who lived there from the 1940s through the 1960s. His family owned the two houses that were ultimately saved, only to meet their even more tragic ends soon after.
The descriptions and photos in the numerous posts give a small taste of just how much, from a cultural standpoint, was truly lost.