P.O. Box 2586. Hollywood, CA 90078 / (323) 874-4005
www.hollywoodheritage.org – FAX: (323) 465-5993
Urgent memo to: Members, supporters and friends of Hollywood Heritiage, Inc.:
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SAVE THE WATTLES MANSION
By now you are all aware of the attempt by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks to evict Hollywood Heritage, Inc. from The Wattles Mansion and Gardens (1907). Now that so much of the “hard work” has been done to restore and save the house and grounds, they want it back. However, their plans for the property appear vague and they refuse to share them with us or anyone else. What will become of this restored and historic gem?
Since 1983, we have restored, maintained and funded this Cultural Monument at our cost, amounting to over $2,500,000. We have more to do and want to continue our restoration. The actions by the Department have disgraced Hollywood Heritage, Inc. and gravely tarnished our image and reputation for no reason.
We urgently need your help now.
Please send a letter (via the US mail) in support of Hollywood Heritage, Inc. to Mayor Villaraigosa at the mailing addresses supplied. He needs to know about our hard work and the potential huge maintenance costs the City will take on if Hollywood Heritage leaves – this, at a time when there is little or no money in the city budget. If this Hollywood treasure is not properly maintained, all of our hard work could be lost! The Mayor has the power to overrule this eviction and has done so in the past for a very similar situation.
We need as many letters of support as possible. Please encourage your friends and family members to write letters too. We CAN prevail with YOUR help.
Please write NOW, and mail copies as supplied or email a copy to:
-
Wattles Mansion: wattles@hollywoodheritage.org ;
-
Council President Eric Garcetti: Garcetti@lacity.org
-
Council member Tom LaBonge: Labonge@lacity.org.
I sincerely thank you for your time and your continued support.
Stephen X. Sylvester
Executive Director
The Wattles Mansion and Gardens
PS: For complete information on this entire issue, please visit our website @ www.hollywoodheritage.org or call 323/874-4005.
________________________________
I encourage everyone reading this to write to Mayor Villaraigosa and the city council to ask them to stop the eviction proceedings of Hollywood Heritage from Wattles Mansion. If you love Hollywood – whether you live in Los Angeles, the state of California, or anywhere in the United States and the world, the Mayor needs to hear from you so that the preservation of Wattles Mansion and other endangered buildings in Hollywood can continue. For a brief biography of Gurdon W. Wattles and the history of Wattles Mansion, you can read Part One of my article that appeared in the May 2006 issue of the Hollywood Heritage Newsletter – Gurdon Wallace Wattles. Also, please leave your comments on this blog. Thank you.
— Allan R. Ellenberger
Please send your letter of suport to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and send copies to the following people and addresses:
MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring Street, Room 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-0600
__________________
CC:
COUNCILMAN TOM LABONGE
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring Street, Room 480
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 485-3337
______________________
CC:
COUNCILMAN ERIC GARCETTI
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring Street, Room 470
Los Angeles, CA 90012
________________________
CC:
MR. JON KIRK MUKRI
Department Recreation and Parks
1200 W. 7th Street, Suite 748
Los Angeles, CA 90017
And please send a copy to Hollywood Heritage:
STEPHEN X. SYLVESTER
The Wattles Mansion
1824 N. Curson Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90046
_______
CONTACT ME: Hollywoodland23@aol.com
_______________________
We visited the Wattles mansion in 2004, and were astonished at the work that had been done on it, and how great it looked. As Omahans, Gurdon Wattles has a history in our city as well; his historic house here has been preserved and continues to be local landmark. LA must allow the Hollywood Heritage group to continue to preserve and repair the house and grounds of his LA mansion. LA has lost too many of its historic landmarks to developers and city intervention. Leave this one alone!
Just in case, here’s is Villaraigosa’s e-mail address:
mayor@lacity.org
I attended a wonderful event there (involving Johnny Walker Scotch tasting) and loved it. I will send my letters today. Thank you for your efforts. Preservation is such a huge priority here in Los Angeles. We must stay vigilant or we will continue to lose these historic landmarks and homes.
We visit Los Angeles every once in a while. We love your city as it is so exciting to see the sites you have to offer. One of the reasons we visit is to see “old Hollywood” and the homes built in the 30’s when money was no object. To see these historic homes destroyed is evil! What the City has in mind is mindless! Keep these wonderful places in tact and restore the ones that need it. Who wants to visit a Historic City with nothing from the past? Come on City Leaders, lay off the treasures, if you need to tear some thing down, try your egos! If you want tourism for your city to continue, keep the old. After all, how many people visit L A to see new buildings and parking lots?