Conservancy News

The Postal Service announced on August 17 that they are proceeding with plans to sell the historic Santa Monica Main Post Office and relocate its services to the carrier annex at 1653 7th Street, south of Colorado and the future Expo line. The Santa Monica Conservancy has joined the City of Santa Monica and others in writing letters to appeal this decision.

We are following this situation very closely, and are taking two additional initiatives to assure the protection of the building if our appeals to maintain retail service at the 5th Street location are denied and the Postal Service proceeds with plans to sell the building:

• Requesting Consulting Party status in the Section 106 Process defined by the National Historic Preservation Act

• Asking our Landmarks Commission to prepare a nomination of the Post Office

See below for details.

Photo credit Jessie Geoffray, Santa Monica Mirror.

Our appeal of the Postal Service decision to close the 5th Street Post Office included the following points:

• The Santa Monica Main Post Office is a beautiful historic structure which is recognized in the City’s Historic Resource Inventory as being eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. It has been serving the community since its dedication in 1938 as part of the Federal Works Progress Administration.

• We are very concerned that the proposed sale of the Post Office will place this historic building at risk. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is so concerned about the failure of the Postal Service to provide adequate protections that it has named the Historic Post Offices to its 2012 list of the Nation’s Most Endangered Historic Places. (See below for additional description of the concerns about Postal Service adherence to federal laws intended to protect historic properties as they are sold into private ownership.)

• Closing the 5th Street Post Office and relocating its services to 7th Street may very well turn a profitable location into one that operates at a loss. The current location in the Central Business District is within walking distance of many local residents and businesses, and accessible by public transit. The outpouring of opposition describes the proposed location as much less convenient and indicates that the facility would be avoided by many – suggesting that it may not generate enough revenue to cover operating costs.

Our request for Consulting Party status in the Section 106 process defined by the National Historic Preservation Act: Under Section 106, the Postal Service cannot sell a historic property without a protective covenant to ensure that the historic property suffers “no adverse effects” when sold. Unfortunately, experience to date indicates the protections put in place are likely to be very weak unless local preservation organizations like the Conservancy request a consulting role. We will be making this request immediately without waiting for the results of the appeal, and will keep you informed of our progress.

Finally, the Conservancy has requested that the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission prepare a nomination of the Post Office so as to be ready to act as soon as the Post Office passes into private ownership, since they have no jurisdiction as long as the building remains a federal property. We understand that this will be on the Commission’s agenda for their next meeting, scheduled September 10 at 7 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Join us for a party at the future site of the Preservation Resource Center, in the parking lot across from the Ocean Park Branch Library at 2nd Street and Norman Place.

The event will feature docents describing the adjacent landmarks – the Ocean Park Library, the Merle Norman Office and the California Heritage Museum – as well as a self-guided tour of the Third Street Historic Neighborhood District and  an architectural scavenger hunt for families. A blue grass band, Brax Cutchin and the Lazy Roosters, cake, and giveaways will round out the festivities.

The 10th Anniversary Celebration is free and open to all, but RSVPs are requested to help us plan. You can register online, by sending email to [email protected], or by leaving a message at (310) 496-3146.

Parking is available in City lots of Main Street – or take advantage of the Big Blue Bus. Lines 1 and 8 stop at Ocean Park and Main.

For more about the Conservancy’s plans to rehabilitate the City’s landmark 1890’s shotgun house as the Preservation Resource Center, click here.

Julia Morgan 2012 — a state-wide festival celebrating the life and work of California’s first licensed female architect – is coming this fall – and in particular, to the Annenberg Community Beach House!  Morgan, also the first female civil engineering graduate of UC Berkeley, created more than 700 structures in California, leaving a great architectural and cultural legacy that has gained increasing public appreciation in recent years.  The festival is sponsored by Landmarks California, a state program supported by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, and a large network of organizations will contribute to the celebration; more information may be found at www.landmarkscalifornia.org/julia-morgan2012.

A free lecture on Julia Morgan by Christy McAvoy, principal of the Historic Resources Group, will be held at the Santa Monica Public Library Multi-Purpose Room on Saturday, September 8, at 4 PM. Reservations are required; go to  www.smconservancy.org, or leave a message at 310-496-3146.

Opening events at the Annenberg Community Beach House will be held Sunday October 14th, and will include guest house tours, a panel discussion and a gallery exhibit reception.  Special tours will be offered by Santa Monica Conservancy docents on three Sundays: October 21, November 4, November 11 and on Monday, November 12 between 11am and 4 pm each day.  The former estate of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst was one of Miss Morgan’s important projects in Southern California, and the guest house and pool stand as testimonials to her design talents.  Our special docent tours will focus on Morgan’s life and work, highlighting her relationship to the Hearst family.  Adult and/or family workshops may also be offered on tour days.  For more information, go to www.annenbergbeachhouse.com.

SALON AT THE KAPPE HOUSE
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15   4 – 6 PM.

The Santa Monica Conservancy is pleased to invite members and friends to a Salon at the home of visionary architect Ray Kappe, FAIA.  Mr. Kappe has become a driving force of the local architectural scene during his 60-year architectural career and as founder of the innovative school SCI-ARC (Southern California Institute of Architecture) in Santa Monica in 1972.  His own home, an award-winning masterpiece in Rustic Canyon (1965-1967), is considered one of the most exciting works of architecture in the region.  Through its structural and design innovations as well as its breathtaking beauty, it has inspired many architects and students since it was built.  This event, a fundraiser for the Conservancy, includes a house tour, a reception with elegant hors d’oeuvres, and a conversation with Ray and his wife, Shelly Kappe.

Built on a steep hillside over a running brook, six concrete towers rise into the trees, carrying the structural loads of the house as well as containing rooms and bringing light inside through skylights.  Immense laminated wood beams run horizontally to create complex multi-levels of interconnected living spaces.  Rooms merge into the surrounding landscape with dramatically cantilevered decks, extended beams and glass walls, creating the ultimate tree house.  A bridge over the creek leads to the front door.  After climbing stairs in a confined space – Kappe’s trademark wood butcherblock stairs – the space opens up dramatically to different levels and heights. All the furniture and cabinetry, except for the Eames chairs, was designed by him.  A visit to the Kappe House is an unforgettable experience.

• Tickets for the Salon are $150 for Conservancy members, $175 for the general public. Click here for tickets or click here to print our ticket reservation form.
• Join, upgrade or renew at the $1000 patron level and receive two complimentary tickets to this event.

Space is limited; early reservations are advised and must be made by September 5.

About Ray and Shelly Kappe:

Throughout his career, Ray Kappe has received numerous awards for both his architecture and his commitment to education.  His residential designs blend innovative technology in materials and structure with practical solutions calibrated to each specific site.  He initiated the architectural program at Cal Poly Pomona and in 1972 founded the acclaimed SCI-ARC (Southern California Institute of Architecture), serving as director and faculty member. Kappe’s interest in modular construction, pre-fab housing and energy conservation have led to new ventures with LivingHomes.  This collaboration resulted in the design of their first model home which became the first LEED certified platinum house in the country – the highest possible ranking for energy-efficiency.

Shelly Kappe also served as a faculty member at SCI-ARC, and is professor emeritus of architectural history there, having accomplished a successful career in education over four decades. Her research, publications and field study projects with students have helped to shape SCI-ARC into a top-ranked architectural school. Her extensive photo collection of world architecture will soon be digitized.

The Friends of Heritage Preservation (FOHP) recently awarded the Conservancy a $7500 grant toward the rehabilitation of the Shotgun House as a Preservation Resource Center.

Founded in 1998, FOHP is a small, private association of individuals who seek to promote cultural identity through the preservation of significant endangered artistic and historic works, artifacts and sites. Past grants in the U.S. have been made to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in Los Angeles and Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. More information about the Friends can be found on their website www.fohpinfo.org.

The FOHP grant, like that received from the National Trust’s Los Angeles County Preservation Fund in 2011, will be applied toward rehabilitation of the landmark building. This work will be done according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, following the recommendations of a report prepared for the Conservancy by Historic Resources Group and partially funded by an earlier grant from the National Trust. It will include removal of glass block and other non-historic elements, rehabilitation of the porch including replacement of the missing corbels, and new double-hung windows compatible with the one remaining original window. A small addition will be built on the rear of the structure with additional work space and an accessible bathroom.

The Shotgun House has been in storage since it was removed from its original site at 2712 2nd Street in 2002. It will be relocated to the parking lot adjacent to the Ocean Park Library at 2520 2nd Street. The parking lot is presently being reconfigured to accommodate the house and expand the parking capacity from 11 to 12 spaces.

When the rehabilitation is complete, the Shotgun House will be operated by the Conservancy as a Preservation Resource Center. It will be a place where workshops and technical assistance are provided to the public and where Conservancy board members and volunteers will meet to plan educational programs and other activities that promote the preservation and reuse of historic structures.

Individuals or organizations who are able to help with this project in any capacity –- as volunteers, by providing in-kind services and materials, or as early financial contributors — may contact the Conservancy by email to [email protected] or by leaving a message at 310-496-3146.