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August, 2019, San Rafael Heritage Up and Doings
802-804 Fourth Street - 1892-1894.
Here are important historic preservation activities we want to share with you:
•Walking Tour of Downtown Historic Buildings - The City of San Rafael is in the process of preparing a Downtown Precise Plan to guide future development in the area. San Rafael Heritage has been asked to lend our knowledge and opinions as the city’s historic consultant evaluates our historic buildings. A walking tour will be scheduled, and we would like to invite any of you who feel you have good knowledge of our historic assets to participate. Please contact Leslie Simons at (415) 454-1878; leave a message to volunteer. This gives San Rafael Heritage an important role in protecting downtown’s heritage buildings!
•For Members Only -Nominating Committee Members Needed for Spring Elections - According to our By-laws, our annual meeting in the spring of 2020 must include election of officers and Steering Committee members. We must form a Nominating Committee in the month of September to prepare a slate of candidates and it can contain two people from the general membership. If you are a current San Rafael Heritage member, please volunteer for this important job. We need to keep our Steering Committee strong and our officers on track as our organization goes into its fourth year. (Some of our current folks are willing to stay in their jobs for another two-year hitch, so we don’t have to start from zero.) You can help! Please call Cynthia Landecker at (707) 595-4604 for more information. AND - if you want to make yourself a real SRH member, please visit www.sanrafaelheritage.org and go to the Membership Page. Dues are so extremely reasonable that it is almost embarrassing if you are not supporting preservation with your pittance!!
SR Railroad Depot, 2015, showing Whistlestop alterations; original look to the right.
•SRH Preparing Local Landmark Status Request for Our 1929 NWP Railroad Depot - It has long been our goal to honor San Rafael’s formative railroad history by preserving the existing and unique 1929 NWP Railroad Depot, which stands on the spot of the original 1884 Union Station. It is exciting that SMART trains are bringing rail use back to this spot in San Rafael! We believe this building, which is currently the Whistlestop senior center, should be preserved with a possible mixed use that would create a welcoming entrance to our downtown. We feel the best way to protect the building is with local Landmark status. Our Leslie Simons has spent months preparing a well-researched landmark status request. Recently we have reached out to an architectural historian for consultation as well as to the City of San Rafael for guidance in the process of submitting our request. We hope to have a clear path forward soon.
•Speaking of Rail, the Marin History Museum Hosts a Walking Tour of Fairfax’s Manor Station Saturday, Aug. 31, 10 a.m.- Marcie Miller and railroad historian Fred Codoni will lead the tour. The MHM email about this tour will be forwarded to you separately or you can contact [email protected].
•Speaking of Rail II, Visit the Anne T. Kent California Room Community Newsletter of Aug. 21, 2019 re “Golden Gate Bridge War on Ferries” - We’ve always been told that the Golden Gate Bridge killed the business of commute rail and ferries in Marin. Find out the interesting if grim details at https://annetkent.kontribune.com/articles/9174. The folks at the California Room do a great job documenting, preserving, and publishing fascinating facts about local history. Visit https://marinlibrary.org/californiaroom/ to find out more.
•Speaking of Rail II, Visit the Anne T. Kent California Room Community Newsletter of Aug. 21, 2019 re “Golden Gate Bridge War on Ferries” - We’ve always been told that the Golden Gate Bridge killed the business of commute rail and ferries in Marin. Find out the interesting if grim details at https://annetkent.kontribune.com/articles/9174. The folks at the California Room do a great job documenting, preserving, and publishing fascinating facts about local history. Visit https://marinlibrary.org/californiaroom/ to find out more.
November, 2018:
Transit Center Relocation Happenings
San Rafael Heritage is following the Golden Gate Bridge District’s plans for a new San Rafael Transit Center because a valuable set of historic buildings may be impacted. These buildings, which now bring a beautiful sense of identity to San Rafael”s gateway, could either be threatened by the final Transit Center choice, or the opportunity could be taken to consciously incorporate them into an economically beneficial, unique civic place.
The new Transit Center, which is needed because SMART trains will soon be traveling through the existing Bettini transit center, will bring many changes to the entrance to our city. All of us should be involved in this process because the end result will affect the look and function of this vital area for many decades.
Here are historic buildings in and around the transit area:
Transit Center Relocation Happenings
San Rafael Heritage is following the Golden Gate Bridge District’s plans for a new San Rafael Transit Center because a valuable set of historic buildings may be impacted. These buildings, which now bring a beautiful sense of identity to San Rafael”s gateway, could either be threatened by the final Transit Center choice, or the opportunity could be taken to consciously incorporate them into an economically beneficial, unique civic place.
The new Transit Center, which is needed because SMART trains will soon be traveling through the existing Bettini transit center, will bring many changes to the entrance to our city. All of us should be involved in this process because the end result will affect the look and function of this vital area for many decades.
Here are historic buildings in and around the transit area:
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•The 1929 Mission Revival NWP Depot, now used by Whistlestop, 930 Tamalpais.
•The elegant Queen Anne Victorians at 633 and 637 Fifth at Hetherton (Below), now perfectly maintained and part of San Rafael’s small business economy. 709 4th Street (4th Street Tavern) •927 Tamalpais, once a taxi stand and now Trevor’s (Right) |
Trevor's
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637 Fifth St.
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633 Fifth St.
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On Oct. 30, the District held a public “scoping meeting” to elicit feedback on the beginning of the environmental analysis of this project. Five concepts for a new location are on the table. Although a specific location has yet to be chosen, the required Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is being implemented. The question before the attendees at this meeting was: What elements should be included for study in the EIR?
Aha! Thanks for asking! SRH folks who attended made sure to give written preservation-centric replies--and you can too! Please, please do. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that historic and aesthetic resources be identified in an EIR. You can add your voice, demanding that no matter what site is finally chosen, our historic legacy must be identified, respected, preserved, and used creatively in the Gateway area. The District needs your comments by Nov. 19. They can be emailed to [email protected] or addressed to Raymond Santiago, Principal Planner, Golden Gate Bridge District,1011 Andersen Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901-5318.
First, you may want to look at the current five proposed concepts. How will each one impact its historic neighbors? Do any historic buildings mysteriously disappear? (Hint: Yes!) To do this, visit the http://www.goldengate.org/SRTC/documents/notice-of-preparation-draft-eir.pdf. Scroll down to each of the 5 concepts: 4th Street Gateway, Across the Freeway, North of 4th Street, Two-Story, and Whistlestop. (SRH has not favored one concept over another; we are sticking to historic preservation.)
Below is a relevant excerpt from the SR City Staff Report on the historic resource element for the Draft EIR. It reads well so far!The project has the potential to cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historic resource as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5. The NOP states that the EIR will include an assessment of potential impacts on historic resources.
Recommendation: Downtown San Rafael is developed with many older buildings. Some of these buildings qualify as a historic resource as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5. At present, the City relies on the San Rafael Historical/Architectural Survey – Final Inventory List or Structures and Areas, which was prepared for the City in 1977 (updated in 1986). This survey can be viewed here.
(Above properties listed here.) These properties should be assessed by a qualified architectural historian to: a) confirm if they meet the CEQA Guidelines historic resource criteria; and b) determine potential impacts for developing the site options. In addition, it is recommended that the architectural historian complete a reconnaissance of the study area to determine if there are other existing buildings that may meet the historic resource criteria and could be impacted by development of the site options. The study should also evaluate possible relocation of identified historic structures and identify mitigations if included.
Thanks for reading all this and following us down the primrose path of city planning language! We hope you will help us advocate for smart historic preservation. You can also help by becoming a member of San Rafael Heritage, if you are not already. Visit our membership page
Cynthia Landecker, President
July 24, 2018
Mill Valley is Making Historic Preservation Part of Its General Plan - Can We?
Last year, Mill Valley hired the architectural historian firm of Page and Turnbull to examine the historic context of Mill Valley’s built environment and also to update a 1998 list of historic structures in the city. The result was a draft “Historic Context Statement” that is being used to understand local historic resources and to update the 1998 survey. “The purpose of the survey is to determine if listed properties retain historic integrity, as well as their ability to qualify for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources.” The results will be part of Mill Valley’s General Plan 2040, which will guide the city’s development in the coming years.
Well, what do you know! That is precisely what San Rafael Heritage is trying to do with our city's even older Historical/Architectural Survey from the 1970’s! But we are presently conducting our review of this survey without professional help or paid staff. Our volunteer “Preservation Corps” members have been circulating through all San Rafael neighborhoods to find out which listed buildings have survived with their historic integrity intact. Although we are nearing the end of this huge effort, we are delaying completion until after the summer, when bare trees will help us view buildings more clearly. When we have compiled our results, we hope the City of San Rafael will build on our efforts to compile the historic preservation element of our own General Plan 2040. Let us know if you’d like to help. 415 456-0221.
Mill Valley is Making Historic Preservation Part of Its General Plan - Can We?
Last year, Mill Valley hired the architectural historian firm of Page and Turnbull to examine the historic context of Mill Valley’s built environment and also to update a 1998 list of historic structures in the city. The result was a draft “Historic Context Statement” that is being used to understand local historic resources and to update the 1998 survey. “The purpose of the survey is to determine if listed properties retain historic integrity, as well as their ability to qualify for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources.” The results will be part of Mill Valley’s General Plan 2040, which will guide the city’s development in the coming years.
Well, what do you know! That is precisely what San Rafael Heritage is trying to do with our city's even older Historical/Architectural Survey from the 1970’s! But we are presently conducting our review of this survey without professional help or paid staff. Our volunteer “Preservation Corps” members have been circulating through all San Rafael neighborhoods to find out which listed buildings have survived with their historic integrity intact. Although we are nearing the end of this huge effort, we are delaying completion until after the summer, when bare trees will help us view buildings more clearly. When we have compiled our results, we hope the City of San Rafael will build on our efforts to compile the historic preservation element of our own General Plan 2040. Let us know if you’d like to help. 415 456-0221.
Historic Artifacts from Our NWP Depot
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The July-August 2018 issue of “The Headlight”, a publication of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historic Society, featured two articles of interest to fans of our 1929 Mission Revival NWP train station. One is an obituary for Marion Morrison, the daughter of George L. Morrison, a NWP official who was the last manager of NWP when its headquarters were at our San Rafael station. Marion was a great supporter of the NWPRHS, donating “many of her father’s railroad artifacts." Some of these artifacts can be found at the Society’s Hogarty Library/Archive at 1364 No. McDowell, Petaluma. Mr. Morrison’s desk, a clock, an exterior NWP medallion, and his photograph are among the items on display.
Also on display from the San Rafael depot is a NWPRR painted emblem counter stand, which sits on Mr. Morrison’s desk, to the left in the photo below. The emblem contains the NWP circular logo, with the words “Redwood Empire Route” written horizontally across it. The wall medallions and emblems were used in several NWP depots to in the 1930’s to make California rail travel appealing to tourists (as was the Mission Revival architecture of our station and many others.) For more info on the NWPRRHS, visit www.nwprrhs.org, They have many dedicated volunteers. |
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From The President of SRH
April 25th, 2018
SR Heritage did a little looking back at itself on April 17, when we held our Third Annual Meeting, also at the Elks. We had a lovely repast and a no-host bar, followed by a business meeting during which the SRH Board was re-elected and also was officially changed for liability purposes from a Board to a Steering Committee.
We presented some of the highlights of our 2017 activities:
•Tribute was paid to San Rafael Heritage founder Hugo Landecker, who passed away last September.
•We reviewed the historic buildings San Rafael has lost, which this year include Fire Station #1 and the Blue Victorian on Fifth.
•Our two public events for 2017 were reviewed - the spring tour of the Boyd Gatehouse, and the fall “Haunted History Tour and Saloon Crawl”.
•We helped Mission San Rafael celebrate its 200th birthday and were involved in the planting of a pear tree at St. Raphael's that will be grafted with a slip from the last known Mission pear. (Historic preservation with a twist!)
•Our “Preservation Corps” made great progress in reviewing buildings on the City’s Architectural and Historical Survey, last updated in 1986. We are happy to report that so far 83% of these historic structures are still intact. This will be an on-going project for the remainder of the year.
•We continue to advocate for the preservation of significant historic structures in our city. We are currently concerned with the future of the Carnegie-endowed San Rafael Public Library and of the NWP train depot, which is an active senior center run by Whistlestop.
We looked forward to our on-going activities for the rest of 2018: continuing our Preservation Corps work, re-starting our “This Place Matters” campaign to celebrate San Rafael’s wonderful historic structures, and planning our first tour of a neighborhood historical area. “This Place Matters” will start in May, tentatively on May 18, at the San Rafael Public Library. May is Historic Preservation Month. Details will follow! We hope that many of you can volunteer to help with some of these events - reply by return email or call Cynthia at 415 456-0221.
Our meeting featured, for the first time, a raffle of several wonderful local items. This was fun, and raised a few hundred dollars for our group.
Lastly, our guest speaker, Laurie Thompson, Librarian at the Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library, presented a well-researched talk on the fascinating California Motion Picture Company, which was built in Sun Valley in 1912, but eventually went bankrupt and was torn down. The company was one of the pioneers in full-length films, and Westerns were its main genre. How close we were to being Hollywood! We were all entranced by Laurie’s excellent story of this important but little-known business venture, and she made it a fitting end to a meeting that celebrated historic preservation.
SR Heritage did a little looking back at itself on April 17, when we held our Third Annual Meeting, also at the Elks. We had a lovely repast and a no-host bar, followed by a business meeting during which the SRH Board was re-elected and also was officially changed for liability purposes from a Board to a Steering Committee.
We presented some of the highlights of our 2017 activities:
•Tribute was paid to San Rafael Heritage founder Hugo Landecker, who passed away last September.
•We reviewed the historic buildings San Rafael has lost, which this year include Fire Station #1 and the Blue Victorian on Fifth.
•Our two public events for 2017 were reviewed - the spring tour of the Boyd Gatehouse, and the fall “Haunted History Tour and Saloon Crawl”.
•We helped Mission San Rafael celebrate its 200th birthday and were involved in the planting of a pear tree at St. Raphael's that will be grafted with a slip from the last known Mission pear. (Historic preservation with a twist!)
•Our “Preservation Corps” made great progress in reviewing buildings on the City’s Architectural and Historical Survey, last updated in 1986. We are happy to report that so far 83% of these historic structures are still intact. This will be an on-going project for the remainder of the year.
•We continue to advocate for the preservation of significant historic structures in our city. We are currently concerned with the future of the Carnegie-endowed San Rafael Public Library and of the NWP train depot, which is an active senior center run by Whistlestop.
We looked forward to our on-going activities for the rest of 2018: continuing our Preservation Corps work, re-starting our “This Place Matters” campaign to celebrate San Rafael’s wonderful historic structures, and planning our first tour of a neighborhood historical area. “This Place Matters” will start in May, tentatively on May 18, at the San Rafael Public Library. May is Historic Preservation Month. Details will follow! We hope that many of you can volunteer to help with some of these events - reply by return email or call Cynthia at 415 456-0221.
Our meeting featured, for the first time, a raffle of several wonderful local items. This was fun, and raised a few hundred dollars for our group.
Lastly, our guest speaker, Laurie Thompson, Librarian at the Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library, presented a well-researched talk on the fascinating California Motion Picture Company, which was built in Sun Valley in 1912, but eventually went bankrupt and was torn down. The company was one of the pioneers in full-length films, and Westerns were its main genre. How close we were to being Hollywood! We were all entranced by Laurie’s excellent story of this important but little-known business venture, and she made it a fitting end to a meeting that celebrated historic preservation.
SRH Newsletter 1/24/18
San Rafael Heritage is starting out the new year with a lot of interesting preservation irons in the fire.
We want to share what is happening with you. We’ll send another installment later.
Save the Date! Annual Meeting is April 17
Our third annual meeting! As before, it will be held at the gracious Elks Lodge. Our
guest speaker will be Laurie Thompson, librarian for the Anne T. Kent California Room
at the Marin County Free Library. Laurie will share the fascinating history of San
Rafael’s very own movie studio, the California Motion Picture Company, which operated
in Sun Valley over a century ago. Refreshments will be served and there will be a no-
host bar. Details will be announced later.
Any willing techies out there? We may need someone to help set up a mic and
Powerpoint presentation for our speaker on April 17. Respond by calling (415) 456-0221.
Membership Confers Grace and Beauty
Well, we exaggerate only a little. Renewing your membership in San Rafael Heritage, or
joining for the first time, does confer a lot of satisfaction. Members know that they are
helping SRH keep an essential part of San Rafael’s history, beauty, and unique
character alive for future generations.
If you are a new member, or a renewing member whose contact information has
changed, please fill out the attached membership form and send with your $15
membership check to 23 Scenic Avenue, San Rafael CA 94901. If you are renewing
and your information has not changed, just send a $15 membership check made out to
San Rafael Heritage to that address.
Remember - the more members we have, the more influence we have. Squeaky wheels
get to keep their heritage!
Gail David joins the SRH Board!
We are fortunate to have Gail David as a new board member. Gail will be assuming, at
least on an interim business, the job of Secretary, which our Treasurer Leslie Simons
had been carrying.
Here is a brief bio of Gail:
Gail David was born in Minnesota but has lived in San Rafael for 45 years. A former
board member of the Marin Ballet, she was educated at the Blake School and at Mills
College, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis where she completed a Ph.D in English literature.
She has taught literature and writing at UC Davis, St. Mary’s College, Dominican
University, and community colleges up and down the freeways of northern California.
During her teaching years, she published a number of articles and book reviews as well
as a scholarly book, Female Heroism in the Pastoral, which now rests in moldy obscurity
in a few stately libraries. Since retirement, she has been writing a biography of Charles
Dickens’s sister-in- law, leading discussions for a local book club, and serving as a
mentor in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. Gail’s awareness of the need for
historic preservation was sparked a number of years ago when a beautiful Julie Morgan
house near her home was destroyed by the owners so they could build something new.
And a Board Position for You?
Most of you know that our young organization’s board suffered two deaths in the last two
years. We lost our Treasurer, Ed Vorous, and then our Vice President, Hugo Landecker,
in September. In addition to grieving their loss, we miss very much the commitment and
energy they devoted to preservation causes. Without them, we really need help! If you
would like to explore the possibility of serving on the board, or at least volunteering for
some of our activities, consider attending the next board meeting on Tuesday, February
13. Respond by return email or call (415) 456-0221 for details. Your participation will
keep our wheels squeaking!
The Preservation Corps is on the March!
A key objective of San Rafael Heritage is to encourage the city of San Rafael to review
its woefully outdated 1986 San Rafael Historical/Architectural Survey. The Survey lists
structures that are considered potential significant historic resources warranting
preservation. There are over 300 structures listed. We have happily taken on the giant
task of informally reviewing these structures and for this purpose we are calling
ourselves “The Preservation Corps.” We hope our work can be useful as a base for a
serious review of the Survey by the City, because that Survey is where San Rafael’s preservation effort starts.
In recent months, we began by reviewing list entries in the Gerstle Park area. Our goal
is to determine if each listing is 1) still standing, and 2) still of historic quality. We are
taking photographs of each entry (or of what replaced it if it was destroyed or altered.)
We are also reviewing those structures that were considered for the original list but not
finally chosen. We’d also like to review those buildings that were never considered but
may be more valued now. For instance, turn-of- the century homes and Arts & Crafts
and revival style houses of the 1920’s and 1930’s were of less interest thirty years ago
than they are now.
We are finding that it is really fun for our teams to get to know a neighborhood well and
to see how different architectural styles evolve from decade to decade. Two-person
teams are ideal to visit defined areas within each older neighborhood. Each team can
set its own schedule and operate independently of other teams. After Gerstle Park, our
next area will be the West End Neighborhood. if you’d like to help with this challenging
task, please call Leslie Simons at (415) 454-2168 to sign up.
San Rafael Heritage is starting out the new year with a lot of interesting preservation irons in the fire.
We want to share what is happening with you. We’ll send another installment later.
Save the Date! Annual Meeting is April 17
Our third annual meeting! As before, it will be held at the gracious Elks Lodge. Our
guest speaker will be Laurie Thompson, librarian for the Anne T. Kent California Room
at the Marin County Free Library. Laurie will share the fascinating history of San
Rafael’s very own movie studio, the California Motion Picture Company, which operated
in Sun Valley over a century ago. Refreshments will be served and there will be a no-
host bar. Details will be announced later.
Any willing techies out there? We may need someone to help set up a mic and
Powerpoint presentation for our speaker on April 17. Respond by calling (415) 456-0221.
Membership Confers Grace and Beauty
Well, we exaggerate only a little. Renewing your membership in San Rafael Heritage, or
joining for the first time, does confer a lot of satisfaction. Members know that they are
helping SRH keep an essential part of San Rafael’s history, beauty, and unique
character alive for future generations.
If you are a new member, or a renewing member whose contact information has
changed, please fill out the attached membership form and send with your $15
membership check to 23 Scenic Avenue, San Rafael CA 94901. If you are renewing
and your information has not changed, just send a $15 membership check made out to
San Rafael Heritage to that address.
Remember - the more members we have, the more influence we have. Squeaky wheels
get to keep their heritage!
Gail David joins the SRH Board!
We are fortunate to have Gail David as a new board member. Gail will be assuming, at
least on an interim business, the job of Secretary, which our Treasurer Leslie Simons
had been carrying.
Here is a brief bio of Gail:
Gail David was born in Minnesota but has lived in San Rafael for 45 years. A former
board member of the Marin Ballet, she was educated at the Blake School and at Mills
College, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis where she completed a Ph.D in English literature.
She has taught literature and writing at UC Davis, St. Mary’s College, Dominican
University, and community colleges up and down the freeways of northern California.
During her teaching years, she published a number of articles and book reviews as well
as a scholarly book, Female Heroism in the Pastoral, which now rests in moldy obscurity
in a few stately libraries. Since retirement, she has been writing a biography of Charles
Dickens’s sister-in- law, leading discussions for a local book club, and serving as a
mentor in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. Gail’s awareness of the need for
historic preservation was sparked a number of years ago when a beautiful Julie Morgan
house near her home was destroyed by the owners so they could build something new.
And a Board Position for You?
Most of you know that our young organization’s board suffered two deaths in the last two
years. We lost our Treasurer, Ed Vorous, and then our Vice President, Hugo Landecker,
in September. In addition to grieving their loss, we miss very much the commitment and
energy they devoted to preservation causes. Without them, we really need help! If you
would like to explore the possibility of serving on the board, or at least volunteering for
some of our activities, consider attending the next board meeting on Tuesday, February
13. Respond by return email or call (415) 456-0221 for details. Your participation will
keep our wheels squeaking!
The Preservation Corps is on the March!
A key objective of San Rafael Heritage is to encourage the city of San Rafael to review
its woefully outdated 1986 San Rafael Historical/Architectural Survey. The Survey lists
structures that are considered potential significant historic resources warranting
preservation. There are over 300 structures listed. We have happily taken on the giant
task of informally reviewing these structures and for this purpose we are calling
ourselves “The Preservation Corps.” We hope our work can be useful as a base for a
serious review of the Survey by the City, because that Survey is where San Rafael’s preservation effort starts.
In recent months, we began by reviewing list entries in the Gerstle Park area. Our goal
is to determine if each listing is 1) still standing, and 2) still of historic quality. We are
taking photographs of each entry (or of what replaced it if it was destroyed or altered.)
We are also reviewing those structures that were considered for the original list but not
finally chosen. We’d also like to review those buildings that were never considered but
may be more valued now. For instance, turn-of- the century homes and Arts & Crafts
and revival style houses of the 1920’s and 1930’s were of less interest thirty years ago
than they are now.
We are finding that it is really fun for our teams to get to know a neighborhood well and
to see how different architectural styles evolve from decade to decade. Two-person
teams are ideal to visit defined areas within each older neighborhood. Each team can
set its own schedule and operate independently of other teams. After Gerstle Park, our
next area will be the West End Neighborhood. if you’d like to help with this challenging
task, please call Leslie Simons at (415) 454-2168 to sign up.
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And here is a little serendipitous discovery by our intrepid Corps: In 1872, Isaac Shaver,a pioneer from New York and Michigan, erected a planing mill in San Rafael. at what is now Shaver and Second. The mill was conveniently alongside the tracks of the SanvFrancisco and North Pacific Railroad, later NWP. Much of the lumber that went into constructing local houses was milled at Shaver’s.
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And what is on the site now? That same Shaver’s Mill - transformed into a hair salon! Our Leslie Simons noted the current building’s likeness to an 1884 drawing of the mill but that discovery had already been made by Michelle Kaufman, who put together a series of historic/current photographs last year for the display “San Rafael Illustrated: Then and Now”, which was featured at the Marin County Civic Center. |
The old mill building still stands, but it's now a hair salon.
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Happy New Year - 2017 -from San Rafael Heritage!
In the New Year and the New Decade, your hardy band of San Rafael Heritage preservationists is already hard at it. We are renewing our commitment to achieve meaningful progress in our effort to preserve San Rafael’s fine legacy of historic structures. As always, we will reach out to YOU, the community, for help in meeting our goals.
Look at some of our ongoing projects:
•Preserving the 1929 NWP Depot by finalizing our application for San Rafael Landmark status.
Look at some of our ongoing projects:
•Preserving the 1929 NWP Depot by finalizing our application for San Rafael Landmark status.
•Preserving the best of our downtown buildings by helping the City in its preparation of a Downtown Precise Plan.
•Advocating for the preservation and civic re-use of the Carnegie Library while a possible new library at a new site is being studied.
•Finalizing our informal review of the City’s decades-old list of historically significant structures. (This involves lots of nice strolls.) This review will help us to encourage San Rafael to update the list so the most valuable parts of our built heritage will be recognized and respected as gifts to the community.
Summer 2016
NEEDS FIRST: The San Rafael Heritage Board of Directors needs a new treasurer and membership chairman. We are looking for someone with who has an understanding of basic bookkeeping and record-keeping who would be willing to attend one board meeting a month (to give advice and help eat goodies.) The bookkeeping job is not hard, because we are rather poor, and so far there are few transactions. Record-keeping would simply consist of keeping track of old and new members. This job is a very, very important one to the continued success of SRH, so please. . .can someone step up? You will find great reward in being associated with a great group of people who are doing a good job for the city of San Rafael. Please reply to this email or call 415 456-0221. We need a new treasurer NOW!
NEXT HAPPENNG NO. 1:
We had such a good time waving our orange “This Place Matters” signs at the Boyd Gatehouse for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s May campaign that we decided to keep doing it. So once a month, in good weather, we invite you to join us in a genteel demonstration at different important historic buildings in San Rafael. Our aim is to raise the consciousness of passersby about the lovely and valuable buildings they often pass in their travels.
Join us! JULY “THIS PLACE MATTERS” DEMONSTRATION: FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016: San Rafael’s Fire Station No. 51,1039 C Street. Five p.m. to six p.m. on the dot. (Late comers welcome.) Wear orange if you can. This is really fun to do! We wrote you on June 17 about the City’s plans to demolish this historic building to make way for a new Public Safety Center. And this leads us directly to. . .
. . .NEXT HAPPENING NO. 2:
The San Rafael Planning Commission will review the proposed Public Safety Center on TUESDAY, JULY 26, City Council Chambers, 7 p.m. We invite you to attend this session and/or submit your comments in support of retaining San Rafael’s original fire station. Only YOUR participation can save this building from demolition.
A negative evaluation of the historic status of the Fire Station was done for the City of San Rafael, but SR Heritage completely disagrees with this evaluation. This report is the basis of the city finding that no environmental impact report is needed before demolition. Instead, a “Mitigated Negative Declaration”, with some historic artifacts from the original building being incorporated into the new center, is sufficient. You can get information here: http://www.cityofsanrafael.org/citymgr-proj-facilities. You may have to scroll down to get to “Essential Facilities”, then click on “Appendix B - Cultural Resources”.
Comments may be sent to the City of San Rafael Planning Division by mail at 1400 5th Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901, or by email to [email protected]. Comments must be received by TUESDAY, JULY 5, so please act quickly.
SR Heritage completely supports the concept of a new public safety center, but we feel that our century-old original firehouse should be honored by being incorporated in it--if nothing else, as a tribute to those firefighters who have served us for 100 years.
Thanks!
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
NEEDS FIRST: The San Rafael Heritage Board of Directors needs a new treasurer and membership chairman. We are looking for someone with who has an understanding of basic bookkeeping and record-keeping who would be willing to attend one board meeting a month (to give advice and help eat goodies.) The bookkeeping job is not hard, because we are rather poor, and so far there are few transactions. Record-keeping would simply consist of keeping track of old and new members. This job is a very, very important one to the continued success of SRH, so please. . .can someone step up? You will find great reward in being associated with a great group of people who are doing a good job for the city of San Rafael. Please reply to this email or call 415 456-0221. We need a new treasurer NOW!
NEXT HAPPENNG NO. 1:
We had such a good time waving our orange “This Place Matters” signs at the Boyd Gatehouse for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s May campaign that we decided to keep doing it. So once a month, in good weather, we invite you to join us in a genteel demonstration at different important historic buildings in San Rafael. Our aim is to raise the consciousness of passersby about the lovely and valuable buildings they often pass in their travels.
Join us! JULY “THIS PLACE MATTERS” DEMONSTRATION: FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016: San Rafael’s Fire Station No. 51,1039 C Street. Five p.m. to six p.m. on the dot. (Late comers welcome.) Wear orange if you can. This is really fun to do! We wrote you on June 17 about the City’s plans to demolish this historic building to make way for a new Public Safety Center. And this leads us directly to. . .
. . .NEXT HAPPENING NO. 2:
The San Rafael Planning Commission will review the proposed Public Safety Center on TUESDAY, JULY 26, City Council Chambers, 7 p.m. We invite you to attend this session and/or submit your comments in support of retaining San Rafael’s original fire station. Only YOUR participation can save this building from demolition.
A negative evaluation of the historic status of the Fire Station was done for the City of San Rafael, but SR Heritage completely disagrees with this evaluation. This report is the basis of the city finding that no environmental impact report is needed before demolition. Instead, a “Mitigated Negative Declaration”, with some historic artifacts from the original building being incorporated into the new center, is sufficient. You can get information here: http://www.cityofsanrafael.org/citymgr-proj-facilities. You may have to scroll down to get to “Essential Facilities”, then click on “Appendix B - Cultural Resources”.
Comments may be sent to the City of San Rafael Planning Division by mail at 1400 5th Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901, or by email to [email protected]. Comments must be received by TUESDAY, JULY 5, so please act quickly.
SR Heritage completely supports the concept of a new public safety center, but we feel that our century-old original firehouse should be honored by being incorporated in it--if nothing else, as a tribute to those firefighters who have served us for 100 years.
Thanks!
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
May 2016
United Markets is featuring San Rafael Heritage for their 5 cent bag refund program for the month of May. This means that when you shop at United and bring your own bags from home to use for your grocery purchases, you can opt to have the five cent bag refund credited to San Rafael Heritage! All month! Each checkstand has a little blurb about SRH, with our website and a picture of the Boyd Gatehouse highlighted.
We are very excited about this opportunity for public exposure and hope we earn a little money as well. So, we hope all of you will shop at United Market’s great store in San Rafael as often as possible this month to show your appreciation for United’s generosity--while helping out our bank balance!
Another great thing happening in May is Preservation Month, sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The theme of this year’s program is “This Place Matters”, a national campaign to shine a spotlight on places that are meaningful to people and to their communities. Please visit https://savingplaces.org/this-place-matters#.VypCrnD1Et4. San Rafael Heritage plans a couple of outings to some of San Rafael’s best and most vulnerable historic buildings during this campaign, and we’ll invite you to participate when we’ve set a schedule.
In the meantime, we encourage everyone who hasn’t joined San Rafael Heritage yet to sign up so you can show your support and help the cause of preservation in this city. A membership form is on the membership page.
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
United Markets is featuring San Rafael Heritage for their 5 cent bag refund program for the month of May. This means that when you shop at United and bring your own bags from home to use for your grocery purchases, you can opt to have the five cent bag refund credited to San Rafael Heritage! All month! Each checkstand has a little blurb about SRH, with our website and a picture of the Boyd Gatehouse highlighted.
We are very excited about this opportunity for public exposure and hope we earn a little money as well. So, we hope all of you will shop at United Market’s great store in San Rafael as often as possible this month to show your appreciation for United’s generosity--while helping out our bank balance!
Another great thing happening in May is Preservation Month, sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The theme of this year’s program is “This Place Matters”, a national campaign to shine a spotlight on places that are meaningful to people and to their communities. Please visit https://savingplaces.org/this-place-matters#.VypCrnD1Et4. San Rafael Heritage plans a couple of outings to some of San Rafael’s best and most vulnerable historic buildings during this campaign, and we’ll invite you to participate when we’ve set a schedule.
In the meantime, we encourage everyone who hasn’t joined San Rafael Heritage yet to sign up so you can show your support and help the cause of preservation in this city. A membership form is on the membership page.
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
March 2016
San Rafael’s historic preservation organization, San Rafael Heritage, has been busy on many preservation fronts lately:
ANNUAL MEETING
Our first-ever Annual Meeting, held Feb. 25 at the Elks’ Lodge, was a great success. We formally adopted By-laws to give our organization some legal bones, and we held an election for Officers and Board of Directors. (Please go to our webpage at www.sanrafaelheritage.org for a roster of officers and board members.) These folks have been elected for two-year terms, and can be re-elected to their present offices for one more term after that.
We also had two dynamic speakers, Dick Spotswood of the Marin IJ, and Fred Codoni, railroad historian. They were inspiring and informative, and turned the meeting into a wonderful evening.
SAN RAFAEL TRAIN DEPOT
Just as SRH was getting ready to make a formal presentation to the Planning Commission’s scoping hearing for the Environmental Impact Report on Whistlestop’s proposal to demolish our historic depot and erect a 5-story structure on the site, Whistlestop pulled back! (At least temporarily!) Whistlestop and its partner Eden Housing are in negotiation with Biomarin and the City regarding the P.G.&E. property a couple of blocks west of the depot site. If this becomes a reality, it will be a much better location for the proposed senior housing. The plan would be, in that case, that Whistlestop will continue its present use of the depot building until their new quarters are constructed. San Rafael Heritage will make sure we are involved in what happens to the building after that. We want to ask the City to grant Landmark status to the depot so it is formally recognized as an important San Rafael historic resource.
In the meantime, in case the Biomarin/P.G.&E. site falls through and the Depot is again threatened, SRH has submitted a 37-page document to the city planning department which contains the same arguments for historic preservation of the depot that we would have submitted at the Feb. 23 scoping hearing. We are ready!!
MARIN HISTORY MUSEUM
We are extremely pleased that due to the hard work of County Supervisor Damon Connolly, the support of San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips, and the generosity of local history buff Jeff Craemer, an agreement has been reached to save the Marin History Museum and its priceless collection. For now, the museum will be under the auspices of the Marin County Library. A new core of four board members is being appointed to take over the museum and guide its transition to a functioning, meaningful institution that will protect Marin’s historic artifacts, documents, and photographs. Congratulations to all who helped shaped this great solution to a terrible problem.
PROPOSED PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER
It is exciting that the City of San Rafael has recognized SRH as a valid historic preservation organization and community stakeholder. As such, we were invited by San Rafael city staff to a March 16 meeting in order to elicit our comments on a conceptual review for a proposed Public Safety Center at 1313 5th Avenue/1039 C Street (across the street from City Hall.) This center will be “the cornerstone of the city of San Rafael’s Strategic Plan to replace and/or seismic upgrade the City’s essential services building.”
The new building will be an “essential facility” combining an Emergency Operations Center with police and fire department services. The plan proposes tearing down a Victorian house now used for city offices as well as the original building housing Fire Station No. 51, which would not fit into the concept’s site plan. A few historic elements of the old station would be saved for installation in the new building.
SRH representatives, in their comments on the proposal, recognized that this upgraded facility is necessary for the community’s safety, and that not every historic building in San Rafael can be saved. However, we did suggest that an effort be made to find a buyer willing to move the Victorian. And, as our Board had voted, we spoke in favor of preserving the old fire station, perhaps moving it to a corner area now proposed as a storm-water retaining plaza which would visually connect with City Hall. We made suggestions regarding roof materials and street paving to further harmonize visually with City Hall.
The public is invited to a Design Review Board meeting on this matter, Tuesday, March 22, 7 p.m., City Council Chambers, 1400 Fifth Avenue. The DRB’s function is “strictly advisory on design issues only”. SRH will be there! You can view the file on this project at the Planning Division office, City Hall, from 8:30 to 5 p.m. Monday and Thursday or 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
Our "Christmas Lady", Sharon Fox, waving her wand at the San Rafael train depot!
January 2016
The New Year is upon us, and San Rafael Heritage has a lot to look forward to. We are excited about our plans and goals and hope you all can share in their realization. Here is a start:
ONE: This coming Thursday, January 14, railroad historian Fred Codoni will give an amusing talk on "Tales and Tall Tales of the NWP and SP" as well as a showing of some of his historic railroad photos. This talk will be a program of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society. Fred is "one of the society's most popular and entertaining speakers." The program will be at the San Rafael Elks' Lodge, 1312 Mission Avenue, San Rafael. Doors open at 7:30, the program begins at 8:00. There is no charge, but donations are welcome. Refreshments will be served. Given the importance of rail to the historical development of San Rafael, this evening should be of great interest to us all.
TWO: Hurray, hurray, we have achieved non-profit financial status! San Rafael Heritage has linked up with the organization MarinLink's fiscal sponsorship program, so we can now accept donation checks. If you would like to make a donation, make your check out to "San Rafael Heritage" and mail to San Rafael Heritage, 1423 Lincoln Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901. Our expenses are modest as yet, but, boy, are they ongoing.
THREE: The SRH board is preparing to make a presentation to the Planning Commission at a scoping hearing on the EIR being prepared for Whistlestop's proposal to demolish our historical Mission Revival train depot and replace it with a 5-story building housing seniors next to the SMART tracks and the freeway. This meeting is tentatively set for Feb. 23. We are reviewing historical and other issues that we believe must be considered in the environmental impact report, which the city will review before rendering a decision on demolition and on the merits of the Whistlestop plan. It is a BIG job; If any of you would like to help with this task, contact us at 415 456-0221.
FOUR: San Rafael Heritage will hold its inaugural annual membership meeting on February 25, 2015, at the Elks' Lodge. We thought this event would help us formalize our organization as well as give us an excuse for a good time! We are thrilled to tell you that the Marin I.J's own Dick Spotswood will be in attendance and so will historian Fred Codoni, who this time will give us a talk about San Rafael's historic railroad stations. (Did you know that we had three? That tells you how important rail was in the 19th and early 20th centuries.) This event will be open to members and non-members alike. A future evite will give details. In the meantime, if you have not yet joined us, please click on "Membership" for a membership form. Remember - the more of us there are, the more impact we will have on promoting historic preservation in our city and county.
Thank you all - and Happy New Year.
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
The New Year is upon us, and San Rafael Heritage has a lot to look forward to. We are excited about our plans and goals and hope you all can share in their realization. Here is a start:
ONE: This coming Thursday, January 14, railroad historian Fred Codoni will give an amusing talk on "Tales and Tall Tales of the NWP and SP" as well as a showing of some of his historic railroad photos. This talk will be a program of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society. Fred is "one of the society's most popular and entertaining speakers." The program will be at the San Rafael Elks' Lodge, 1312 Mission Avenue, San Rafael. Doors open at 7:30, the program begins at 8:00. There is no charge, but donations are welcome. Refreshments will be served. Given the importance of rail to the historical development of San Rafael, this evening should be of great interest to us all.
TWO: Hurray, hurray, we have achieved non-profit financial status! San Rafael Heritage has linked up with the organization MarinLink's fiscal sponsorship program, so we can now accept donation checks. If you would like to make a donation, make your check out to "San Rafael Heritage" and mail to San Rafael Heritage, 1423 Lincoln Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901. Our expenses are modest as yet, but, boy, are they ongoing.
THREE: The SRH board is preparing to make a presentation to the Planning Commission at a scoping hearing on the EIR being prepared for Whistlestop's proposal to demolish our historical Mission Revival train depot and replace it with a 5-story building housing seniors next to the SMART tracks and the freeway. This meeting is tentatively set for Feb. 23. We are reviewing historical and other issues that we believe must be considered in the environmental impact report, which the city will review before rendering a decision on demolition and on the merits of the Whistlestop plan. It is a BIG job; If any of you would like to help with this task, contact us at 415 456-0221.
FOUR: San Rafael Heritage will hold its inaugural annual membership meeting on February 25, 2015, at the Elks' Lodge. We thought this event would help us formalize our organization as well as give us an excuse for a good time! We are thrilled to tell you that the Marin I.J's own Dick Spotswood will be in attendance and so will historian Fred Codoni, who this time will give us a talk about San Rafael's historic railroad stations. (Did you know that we had three? That tells you how important rail was in the 19th and early 20th centuries.) This event will be open to members and non-members alike. A future evite will give details. In the meantime, if you have not yet joined us, please click on "Membership" for a membership form. Remember - the more of us there are, the more impact we will have on promoting historic preservation in our city and county.
Thank you all - and Happy New Year.
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
A Great Loss for San Rafael Heritage and the Community
We are very sad to announce the passing on July 30 of Ed Vorous, who was a founding member of the Board of Directors of San Rafael Heritage. Ed also served as our Treasurer and Membership Chairperson. He led SR Heritage off to a good start by getting us non-profit status through the fiscal sponsorship of Marinlink, and by organizing our membership lists.
He was truly a man of service and community. He gave so much to every organization he joined, particularly to the Marin Democrats, the Lincoln San Rafael Hill Neighborhood Association, the Marin Boy Scouts, the San Francisco Symphony, the Redwood Presbyterian Church, the Marin Women’s Political Action Committee, as well as San Rafael Heritage. Beside helping with the work of those organizations, he loved to volunteer his skill as a chef to enrich that work, making meetings and social functions more successful, more fun, and tastier. He was a very special man.
Ed had been sick for several months, but we had hoped he was on the mend. HIs death is a great shock to all who knew him, but the way he lived a life of service and engagement is an inspiration to us.
He wrote in his bio for San Rafael Heritage: “I recently got involved with San Rafael Heritage as their Treasurer because I believe that if we don’t preserve our history now, we’ll have no history.”
A memorial service for Ed will be held on Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. at Redwood Presbyterian Church, 10 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur.
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
We are very sad to announce the passing on July 30 of Ed Vorous, who was a founding member of the Board of Directors of San Rafael Heritage. Ed also served as our Treasurer and Membership Chairperson. He led SR Heritage off to a good start by getting us non-profit status through the fiscal sponsorship of Marinlink, and by organizing our membership lists.
He was truly a man of service and community. He gave so much to every organization he joined, particularly to the Marin Democrats, the Lincoln San Rafael Hill Neighborhood Association, the Marin Boy Scouts, the San Francisco Symphony, the Redwood Presbyterian Church, the Marin Women’s Political Action Committee, as well as San Rafael Heritage. Beside helping with the work of those organizations, he loved to volunteer his skill as a chef to enrich that work, making meetings and social functions more successful, more fun, and tastier. He was a very special man.
Ed had been sick for several months, but we had hoped he was on the mend. HIs death is a great shock to all who knew him, but the way he lived a life of service and engagement is an inspiration to us.
He wrote in his bio for San Rafael Heritage: “I recently got involved with San Rafael Heritage as their Treasurer because I believe that if we don’t preserve our history now, we’ll have no history.”
A memorial service for Ed will be held on Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. at Redwood Presbyterian Church, 10 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur.
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES SAN RAFAEL-BOLINAS STAGE TRAIL - OCT. 3
On Sept. 15, the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously accepted the report regarding Marin Open Space Trust’s proposed gift of 3.1 acres of land to San Rafael’s existing open space. SRH had four speakers at this hearing, and we can say with all modesty that two of them highly entertained the Commissioners. This land, at the end of Greenwood in Gerstle Park, is important historically because it contains the last unpaved portion of the San Rafael-Bolinas Stage line. It is also important for accessibility to 33 acres of open space, and it is important as part of a wildlife corridor (endangered spotted owls have been spotted nearby). Park & Rec’s recommendation will go far toward influencing the City to accept this donated land, but the City has an unwritten policy of not accepting any more open space donations.
Our argument is that the historical, hiking, and wildlife benefits of having these few acres added to city open space far outweigh any perceived and unrealized liability worries the city officials might have.
If you haven’t reached out to the City Council on this matter, you can come to City Hall on Monday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. to show your support, OR you can email them at http://www.cityofsanrafael.org/council-home/, (then click on “Email the full City Council” at the right side of the screen.) This is democracy in action; public participation can really lead to good things!
j
NEW TRAINS ON AN OLD TRACK: NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY TALK - OCT. 13
Join us at this NWPRRHS event on Thursday, Oct. 13 at the San Rafael Elks Lodge. Doors open at 7:30; presentations begin at 8. The NWPRR Historical Society is a group of folks passionate about our northern California railroad history, and they are excited about the coming of SMART trains to Marin and Sonoma. It has been 75 years since the end of Marin County’s interurban service, and now SMART’s sleek, modern trains will put us back on track again by the end of the year. NWP historian Fred Codoni and SMART’s Matt Stevens will present a joint look at the old and the new of interurban train transportation. Admission is free; donations are accepted. Light refreshments will be served. The Elks are located at 1312 Mission Ave., the end of C Street. Parking is in the rear.
SAVE THE DATE - SRH HAUNTED HISTORY TOUR AND SALOON CRAWL - OCT. 16
We are planning an enlightening historic tour of part of downtown San Rafael for Sunday, Oct. 16. Your SRH board is having fun learning more about the 19th century days when B Street, with its railroad station, Flatiron Building, and tracks turning onto Second Street provided a main commercial center for downtown San Rafael. Oh, and B St. saloons were important in the day also. Tickets will be sold for the tours, which will start at 3 p.m. We are arranging brief visits to three or four saloons, with small servings of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included in the ticket price. Look for upcoming details!
On Sept. 15, the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously accepted the report regarding Marin Open Space Trust’s proposed gift of 3.1 acres of land to San Rafael’s existing open space. SRH had four speakers at this hearing, and we can say with all modesty that two of them highly entertained the Commissioners. This land, at the end of Greenwood in Gerstle Park, is important historically because it contains the last unpaved portion of the San Rafael-Bolinas Stage line. It is also important for accessibility to 33 acres of open space, and it is important as part of a wildlife corridor (endangered spotted owls have been spotted nearby). Park & Rec’s recommendation will go far toward influencing the City to accept this donated land, but the City has an unwritten policy of not accepting any more open space donations.
Our argument is that the historical, hiking, and wildlife benefits of having these few acres added to city open space far outweigh any perceived and unrealized liability worries the city officials might have.
If you haven’t reached out to the City Council on this matter, you can come to City Hall on Monday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. to show your support, OR you can email them at http://www.cityofsanrafael.org/council-home/, (then click on “Email the full City Council” at the right side of the screen.) This is democracy in action; public participation can really lead to good things!
j
NEW TRAINS ON AN OLD TRACK: NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY TALK - OCT. 13
Join us at this NWPRRHS event on Thursday, Oct. 13 at the San Rafael Elks Lodge. Doors open at 7:30; presentations begin at 8. The NWPRR Historical Society is a group of folks passionate about our northern California railroad history, and they are excited about the coming of SMART trains to Marin and Sonoma. It has been 75 years since the end of Marin County’s interurban service, and now SMART’s sleek, modern trains will put us back on track again by the end of the year. NWP historian Fred Codoni and SMART’s Matt Stevens will present a joint look at the old and the new of interurban train transportation. Admission is free; donations are accepted. Light refreshments will be served. The Elks are located at 1312 Mission Ave., the end of C Street. Parking is in the rear.
SAVE THE DATE - SRH HAUNTED HISTORY TOUR AND SALOON CRAWL - OCT. 16
We are planning an enlightening historic tour of part of downtown San Rafael for Sunday, Oct. 16. Your SRH board is having fun learning more about the 19th century days when B Street, with its railroad station, Flatiron Building, and tracks turning onto Second Street provided a main commercial center for downtown San Rafael. Oh, and B St. saloons were important in the day also. Tickets will be sold for the tours, which will start at 3 p.m. We are arranging brief visits to three or four saloons, with small servings of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included in the ticket price. Look for upcoming details!
HISTORY WATCH RETURNS TO THE IJ
Back when the Marin History Museum was in fine fettle, one of its nicest tasks was to place regular articles called “History Watch” in the Marin IJ. These were small articles about local history, accompanied by neat old photographs, giving readers a little window on the world of our past. We are very pleased that this feature is being renewed by the renascent MHM. History Watch appears every other Tuesday in the Lifestyles section. You can see the latest at http://www.marinij.com/lifestyle/20170327/marin-history-how-muir-woods-came-to-be.
Cynthia Landecker
President
San Rafael Heritage
Back when the Marin History Museum was in fine fettle, one of its nicest tasks was to place regular articles called “History Watch” in the Marin IJ. These were small articles about local history, accompanied by neat old photographs, giving readers a little window on the world of our past. We are very pleased that this feature is being renewed by the renascent MHM. History Watch appears every other Tuesday in the Lifestyles section. You can see the latest at http://www.marinij.com/lifestyle/20170327/marin-history-how-muir-woods-came-to-be.
Cynthia Landecker
President
San Rafael Heritage
IS IT STILL THERE? LOOKING FOR OUR BUILT HISTORY
Back in the 1970’s the City of San Rafael, with the help of many volunteers and a paid architectural historian, completed a survey of all structures in the city that were deemed to have architectural and/or historical significance. This list, consisting of several hundred entries, was last updated in 1986. The list is referred to by City planning when applications for changes are made; but does not in itself protect a building from inappropriate renovation or even destruction.
These structures are the heart of our built heritage and give our city its unique sense of identity and place. So, SR Heritage has decided it would be fun, instructive, important, and beneficial to take an new look at each entry on the list with a view to determining 1) is the structure still there? 2) is its architectural and historical significance still intact? and 3) are there buildings and structures that did not make the list but should be on it? Board members are now training themselves on how best to take on this long-term, neighborhood by neighborhood task. We’re learning to make effective notations, learn a bit about house styles, take good photographs, etc. Already we’ve identified two historic staircases that were not on the list but should be! (See Grove Street Sloss Estate steps above.) Eventually we will reach out to YOU, our supporters, for help in these weekend strolls so that two-person teams can cover the whole town. This will be an exciting and vital job.
If you’d like to sign up now to be part of the task, call 415 456-0221.
ADVOCATING FOR THE NWP TRAIN DEPOT
On March 29, the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods held a seminar with consultant Steve Kinsey to discuss the future of the San Rafael Station Area--that is, the area surrounding the new SMART station (and our historic depot). There is controversy about the potential traffic impacts due to the extension of SMART service across Second and Third and on to Larkspur, where riders could connect with ferries. The Federation invited an array of neighborhood leaders and non-profit representatives to sit on a panel at this meeting to express their concerns. San Rafael Heritage (we had FOUR board members on the panel!) was able to share its hope that the 1929 Mission Revival train depot, with its connection to San Rafael’s vital rail history, will be preserved and respected as an important gateway building to downtown. We should all keep in mind that the area is currently zoned for five-story buildings, and the City may be looking at the possibility of incorporating high-density housing in the station area. You can read more about this meeting at http://www.marinij.com/general-news/20170330/residents-want-their-say-before-consultant-hired-for-san-rafael-transit-area-redesign.
SR Heritage has long been concerned about the state of the beautiful city-owned Boyd Gatehouse at Mission and B Streets, which has been sitting empty for several years. It will soon be occupied as offices on a temporary basis while the San Rafael’s new Public Safety Center is under construction. Now city staff is graciously allowing us to feature the Gatehouse in an afternoon spring tour on Sunday, May 7. San Rafael’s terrific and entertaining local historian Marcie Miller will lead the tour. Attendees will learn all about the house’s history and will have an opportunity to visit the charming interior. A suggested donation of $10 will be requested. Spring refreshments will be served on the porch. This will be a perfect way for SR Heritage to celebrate the beginning of May’s Preservation Month, and we hope you join us. Invitations will be forthcoming.
Heritage is Back!
San Rafael Heritage had a hard summer. Many of you know that our vice president, Hugo Landecker, was ill over the summer; he passed away on Sept. 10. I, as your president, could not devote much time to SRH during that period. We are very grateful to the SRH Board and volunteers who kept on with the group’s work. Hugo always advocated for meaningful historic preservation. His goal, he said, was “protecting the future of the past.” And that’s what we’ll do!
In spite of this loss, we held a great “Haunted History Tour and Saloon Crawl” in October. Many thanks to our Leslie Simons, who organized and researched this tour. One of the main things that one could take away from the tour is that citizens should always demand good design of any new downtown buildings, and that new design should have merit in itself while complementing existing buildings of historic merit.
Painting the Boyd: Hurray!
The San Rafael Heritage Board is reviewing with the City of San Rafael appropriate color choices for re-painting the Boyd Gatehouse. The city had evidently not kept files on the paint colors chosen the last time the house was painted; we have asked that they do so from now on. However, we were able to contact a volunteer who was part of a team effort in the 1980’s to determine the original colors, and he told us how the present color scheme is the match the team ended up recommending. We are joyful that this beautiful house will get a new coat of paint!
History’s Loss is Our Loss
We mourn the loss of the city-owned Blue House on 5th, and historic Fire Station 51. Both buildings were destroyed to make way for the City’s new Public Safety Building, which will house both police and fire functions. Although artifacts from the old fire station will be preserved in the new building, the efforts of SRH to find a new owner for the Blue House and to save the facade of the fire house came to nought. These losses give urgent meaning to the work of the SRH “Preservation Corps” (see below.)
Looking Forward: San Rafael Heritage has several goals set for its immediate future:
-Set a date for and plan our Annual Meeting, to be held in the first quarter of 2018.
-Build up our board membership up so that our work is more effective.
-Organize the SRH “Preservation Corps” to review the City’s list of architecturally and historically significant structures, last updated in 1986! This list is the foundation of San Rafael’s historic preservation effort. We intend to send teams to visit every entry to determine what still exists, what is still worthy of preservation, and what should be on the list but is not. We will start with the Gerstle Park Neighborhood, and we welcome volunteers to be part of this team. This is a great way to learn about historic styles and wonderful buildings in each neighborhood! Call 415 456-0221 to be a volunteer!
-Contribute to the San Rafael General Plan 2040 process from the point of view of championing historic preservation goals; also participate in the City of San Rafael’s new downtown design subcommittee. We will be monitoring progress on the City’s Downtown San Rafael Vision process. Citizens should be aware that increased building heights and increased density are very much on the table and developers are ready to create them. Is all height and all density what we want in our downtown or do we want large buildings to be limited and carefully placed? Will historic buildings like the NWP depot (currently Whistlestop) be protected and used as a community asset? Will any new buildings be an architectural legacy for the future, or will they be unimaginative, mundane, and overbearing--for decades? It is up to all of us!
Visit http://cityofsanrafael.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=38&clip_id=1246&meta_id=113831 for a review of the City Council agenda and meeting of Nov. 6 on this subject.
Thank you,
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
San Rafael Heritage had a hard summer. Many of you know that our vice president, Hugo Landecker, was ill over the summer; he passed away on Sept. 10. I, as your president, could not devote much time to SRH during that period. We are very grateful to the SRH Board and volunteers who kept on with the group’s work. Hugo always advocated for meaningful historic preservation. His goal, he said, was “protecting the future of the past.” And that’s what we’ll do!
In spite of this loss, we held a great “Haunted History Tour and Saloon Crawl” in October. Many thanks to our Leslie Simons, who organized and researched this tour. One of the main things that one could take away from the tour is that citizens should always demand good design of any new downtown buildings, and that new design should have merit in itself while complementing existing buildings of historic merit.
Painting the Boyd: Hurray!
The San Rafael Heritage Board is reviewing with the City of San Rafael appropriate color choices for re-painting the Boyd Gatehouse. The city had evidently not kept files on the paint colors chosen the last time the house was painted; we have asked that they do so from now on. However, we were able to contact a volunteer who was part of a team effort in the 1980’s to determine the original colors, and he told us how the present color scheme is the match the team ended up recommending. We are joyful that this beautiful house will get a new coat of paint!
History’s Loss is Our Loss
We mourn the loss of the city-owned Blue House on 5th, and historic Fire Station 51. Both buildings were destroyed to make way for the City’s new Public Safety Building, which will house both police and fire functions. Although artifacts from the old fire station will be preserved in the new building, the efforts of SRH to find a new owner for the Blue House and to save the facade of the fire house came to nought. These losses give urgent meaning to the work of the SRH “Preservation Corps” (see below.)
Looking Forward: San Rafael Heritage has several goals set for its immediate future:
-Set a date for and plan our Annual Meeting, to be held in the first quarter of 2018.
-Build up our board membership up so that our work is more effective.
-Organize the SRH “Preservation Corps” to review the City’s list of architecturally and historically significant structures, last updated in 1986! This list is the foundation of San Rafael’s historic preservation effort. We intend to send teams to visit every entry to determine what still exists, what is still worthy of preservation, and what should be on the list but is not. We will start with the Gerstle Park Neighborhood, and we welcome volunteers to be part of this team. This is a great way to learn about historic styles and wonderful buildings in each neighborhood! Call 415 456-0221 to be a volunteer!
-Contribute to the San Rafael General Plan 2040 process from the point of view of championing historic preservation goals; also participate in the City of San Rafael’s new downtown design subcommittee. We will be monitoring progress on the City’s Downtown San Rafael Vision process. Citizens should be aware that increased building heights and increased density are very much on the table and developers are ready to create them. Is all height and all density what we want in our downtown or do we want large buildings to be limited and carefully placed? Will historic buildings like the NWP depot (currently Whistlestop) be protected and used as a community asset? Will any new buildings be an architectural legacy for the future, or will they be unimaginative, mundane, and overbearing--for decades? It is up to all of us!
Visit http://cityofsanrafael.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=38&clip_id=1246&meta_id=113831 for a review of the City Council agenda and meeting of Nov. 6 on this subject.
Thank you,
Cynthia Landecker
President, San Rafael Heritage
PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS:
Last Day of Electric Trains in San Rafael - Feb. 2, 1941
Marin’s Commute was Positively Electric
In our research on the history of San Rafael’s 1929 Northwestern Pacific Railroad station and its 1884 predecessor, we had found stories of engineering and electrical innovations that helped make electric rail commuting to San Francisco-bound ferries cheap, fast and efficient for San Rafael workers. Last month, the Anne T. Kent California Room “Community Newsletter” ran an article by Robert L. Harrison about these developments. It is a great article describing how technology can change the economic and social life of a community - in this case by allowing electric commuter trains to co-exist with steam trains, which in turn made our small station a central part of daily life for many residents. There is a photo of the NWP station in the article. Find it here: https://annetkent.kontribune.com/articles/9272. You can sign up to receive these fascinating and well-written newsletters at the site.
In our research on the history of San Rafael’s 1929 Northwestern Pacific Railroad station and its 1884 predecessor, we had found stories of engineering and electrical innovations that helped make electric rail commuting to San Francisco-bound ferries cheap, fast and efficient for San Rafael workers. Last month, the Anne T. Kent California Room “Community Newsletter” ran an article by Robert L. Harrison about these developments. It is a great article describing how technology can change the economic and social life of a community - in this case by allowing electric commuter trains to co-exist with steam trains, which in turn made our small station a central part of daily life for many residents. There is a photo of the NWP station in the article. Find it here: https://annetkent.kontribune.com/articles/9272. You can sign up to receive these fascinating and well-written newsletters at the site.