Why doesn't anyone stop this madness?

[Ed Bass]

After Pia Zadora's disgraceful demolition of Pickfair (the most famous vintage Hollywood celebrity home), why hasn't anyone tried to preserve some of these remaining iconic homes? Doug Fairbanks' and Mary Pickford's famous home was razed to the ground, but for one wall, so they could call it a "remodel". But the revolting modern home that rose in Pickfair's place would make you vomit. And, to compound the problem, the talentless Ms. Zadora and her husband didn't even stay in the home. They sold it as soon as they'd destroyed it.

I'm truly on a rant about this tonight after reading about (and seeing the pictures) of the same disgrace happening to Rudolph Valentino's Falcon Lair. What possesses people to buy these historic homes with their sensational history and then tear them down or remodel them beyond all possible recognition?

The same happened with Errol Flynn's home up on Mulholland Drive. A deal was struck with a developer to purchase the Flynn Ranch. Part of the deal was that the Flynn home had to be torn down before the escrow closed. Of course you know what happened. This historic home was torn down and then, of course, the deal fell apart, :rage: leaving nothing but the ruins of the once magnificent fireplace and an empty and dilapidated swimming pool to mark the place for years. Today it has been redeveloped and has no trace left, save for the street name of "Flynn Ranch Road".

The list goes on and on...

There just doesn't seem to be a preservation board in place to prevent this type of "history stripping" development in Southern California.

OK, rant over.

Best, Toots

 

[VictorAtomic]

Here are the people who lead the fight to save Los Angeles's history

http://www.laconservancy.org/index.php4

They fought hard to save the Ambassador with members like Diane Keaton, but sometimes evil wins.

-V

 

[HadleyH]

why hasn't anyone tried to preserve some of these remaining iconic homes?

I'm truly on a rant about this tonight after reading about (and seeing the pictures) of the same disgrace happening to Rudolph Valentino's Falcon Lair. What possesses people to buy these historic homes with their sensational history and then tear them down or remodel them beyond all possible recognition?



The list goes on and on...

I know exactly how you feel, I feel the same way too! :rage: I gave up hope a long time ago. It's useless Ed Bass, useless, and this, the last straw, the demolition/renovation of Falcon Lair, it's unbelievable!
We might as well face it; "when this sort of madness get started it knows no bounds".
IMO,it's too little too late to save anything of what it's left of Los Angeles history frankly.

 

[Vintage Betty]

Regretfully, the property is too expensive to save the homes on it.

And historical groups just don't have the budget to save everything.

Vintage Betty

 

[HadleyH]

Regretfully, the property is too expensive to save the homes on it.

And historical groups just don't have the budget to save everything.

Vintage Betty

You are right Vintage Betty, that's why I said 'it's useless'. [huh]

 

[Smyat]

One of the lowest circles of hell is reserved for developers. It's an infinite plain of shoddy 3/2 houses that they have to hold up continuously lest they fall and painfully dismember them.

 

[Ed Bass]

One of the lowest circles of hell is reserved for developers.

So there is a final justice. lol

....and a tip of the fedora to a fellow Dante enthusiast!

Best, Toots

 

[Miss Brill]

Atlanta Rhythm Section's drummer, Roy Yeager, had the Hiram Jenkins House (on the Stones River battlefield) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee torn down. It had been used as a hospital for both Union and Confederate troops. This stuff is happening all over. Some people have no sense of history & probably think their McMansions are quite stylish and will be loved for generations.

 

[John in Covina]

Atlanta Rhythm Section's drummer, Roy Yeager, had the Hiram Jenkins House (on the Stones River battlefield) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee torn down. It had been used as a hospital for both Union and Confederate troops. This stuff is happening all over. Some people have no sense of history & probably think their McMansions are quite stylish and will be loved for generations.

*****************
Actually, I don't think that many people either focus on the past or care much about the future. It has more to do with what they want and the fact that they want it NOW!

One thing is when you take on the resposibility of maintaining a historic home or building you are involved with maintainence and repairs to an older building that usually needs a lot of work. Roofs leak and that means damages to al sorts of stuff.. Older codes means upgrades such as electrical and plumbing. These are no easy tasks and are very expensive. Don't forget there may be mold problems that are impossible to get out making a building uninhabitalbile. It's easy to spend someone elses money in these suggestions. And areas like bel Aire & Beverly Hills, they aren't making any new lots really, so you have to recyle the property that is there.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... why hasn't anyone tried to preserve some of these remaining iconic homes?

The more accurate question here is, why hasn't BEVERLY HILLS tried to preserve these structures?


Here's the answer (in two parts):


http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=271917&postcount=4

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=273073&postcount=18


.

 

[dhermann1]

My prediction

Some day, when Beverly Hills loses its cache as a glamorous community, and there are plenty of examples of this from around the country, the lack of anything worthwhile being preserved will just grease the skids of decline into a suburban slum.

 

[RondoHatton]

CROOKED POLITICIANS & DEVELOPER'S WHORES

You gotta be kidding - Falcon's Lair being McMansionized? Shoulda stopped at the Lautner remodel. Then Madonga took her whack at it.
I have come to loathe my home town! The disregard for anything historic, the laying waste to things of cultural value. That damn talk show host who ruined Rudy Valee's home and all you mentioned can suffer the every pain of hell here on earth before roasting in Hitler's lap for eternity and I still will not be satisfied, for the glorious things of old will still be gone, auctioned off on the alter of profit to the most tasteless/richest S.O.B.s!
Sure, if they can afford it, they can do what they please with it? And for this "sacred right", I have seen this town deteriorate into a shoddy shambles of greased pol's palms and Tuscan-style turds flourish. A pox on all their houses! Cancel my rhumba lessons!

Now ask me how I really feel.

Ed, I loves ya!

 

[Vintage Betty]

You gotta be kidding - Falcon's Lair being McMansionized? Shoulda stopped at the Lautner remodel. Then Madonga took her whack at it.
I have come to loathe my home town! The disregard for anything historic, the laying waste to things of cultural value. That damn talk show host who ruined Rudy Valee's home and all you mentioned can suffer the every pain of hell here on earth before roasting in Hitler's lap for eternity and I still will not be satisfied, for the glorious things of old will still be gone, auctioned off on the alter of profit to the most tasteless/richest S.O.B.s!
Sure, if they can afford it, they can do what they please with it? And for this "sacred right", I have seen this town deteriorate into a shoddy shambles of greased pol's palms and Tuscan-style turds flourish. A pox on all their houses! Cancel my rhumba lessons!

Now ask me how I really feel.

Ed, I loves ya!

Can you make your opinion a little more clear? How do you really feel?

Vintage Betty

 

[RondoHatton]

Worse is better?

I'm changing my avatar to Leon Trotsky.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Worse is better?

I'm changing my avatar to Leon Trotsky.

Or Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

.

 

[vonwotan]

It really is too bad that historic preservation is such a challenge. I was not until the late 1980s that architecutre schools had historic preservation as part of their curriculum and, later still before it was a core concentration. Some few organizations have been quite successful however, this is due to a few very dedicated supporters with deep pockets. Unfortunately, some communities don't seem to have anyone to oppose new development and the deep pockets all seem to be lined up behind building the largest possible structure on the given building envelope...

 

[sweetfrancaise]

I think part of the problem is (and this applies to the entire country, not just California) that we haven't been around too long, comparitively, and we have disposable architecture. These classics should be saved, but I don't think that the general public will realize their historical significance until much later in the future. I mean, Paris, a beautiful city that was made by razing thousands of ancient buildings in the late 19th century to make room for Hausmann's boulevards. And it isn't until post-WWII that the city concentrated on preservation. I think the U.S. will have to go through a similar shift before realizing the necessity of preserving this architecture. Just look at Broad Street in LA--all those gorgeous, original theatres going to ruin, in our downtown! It should be a tourist spot, but the mayor is more concerned about places like "Hollywood & Highland" (a monstrosity as far as I'm concerned).

 

[Forgotten Man]

You gotta be kidding - Falcon's Lair being McMansionized? Shoulda stopped at the Lautner remodel. Then Madonga took her whack at it.
I have come to loathe my home town! The disregard for anything historic, the laying waste to things of cultural value. That damn talk show host who ruined Rudy Valee's home and all you mentioned can suffer the every pain of hell here on earth before roasting in Hitler's lap for eternity and I still will not be satisfied, for the glorious things of old will still be gone, auctioned off on the alter of profit to the most tasteless/richest S.O.B.s!
Sure, if they can afford it, they can do what they please with it? And for this "sacred right", I have seen this town deteriorate into a shoddy shambles of greased pol's palms and Tuscan-style turds flourish. A pox on all their houses! Cancel my rhumba lessons!

Now ask me how I really feel.

Ed, I loves ya!

Couldn't have said it any better! Say, anyone here have the sudden urge to go to Beverly Hills and do a some old fashioned winda smashin' rock tossin’ Earnest T. style?

lol lol lol

FM~

 

[dhermann1]

From what I've seen of Beverly Hills (only on TV) you'll need a heck of an arm to fog a rock down those 1/4 mile driveways. Possibly a shoulder launched tactical nuclear device instead?

 

[DOUGLAS]

At least you guys didn't lose the Beaux-arts Penn Station.

Although this was a horrible mistake it did get people involved in preserving other structures but not enough though.