By Daily Press staff
For all of the local architecture history buffs or those who just want to see one of Santa Monica’ most unique neighborhoods up close, there is an opportunity this month to take in the sights of La Mesa Drive.
For the first time ever, La Mesa Drive in Santa Monica will be the site of a public house tour, “Great Houses of La Mesa Drive,” on Sunday, July 27, from noon to 5 p.m. Located off San Vicente Boulevard, the stately, curving street is home to many architectural treasures, mostly built in the 1920s and 1930s. Mature Moreton Bay fig trees line each side of the street, creating a lush canopy. At night, the street is lit by vintage street lamps.
The original tract of land was opened in 1923 by the Santa Monica Land and Water Company. It quickly became one of the most sought after addresses in the city. The La Mesa neighborhood has been compared to the elegant residential neighborhoods of Pasadena and Hancock Park as they all showcase the finest architecture of the day, and were designed by many of the same architects. Notable architects included John Byers, Paul Williams, Marston Van Pelt and Maybury, Palmer Sabin, Oscar Niemeyer, Lloyd Wright, and J.R. Davidson.
Participants will start at 2034 La Mesa Drive, the second of three homes designed and lived in by Santa Monica architect John Byers. Byers, once head of the romance language department at Santa Monica High School, was a self-trained builder and architect who studied the native building traditions of Hispanic cultures. He constructed adobe buildings and employed Mexican craftsmen who were experts in creating and installing decorative tile, wrought iron and woodwork.
A more contemporary house included on the tour is that of architect Oscar Niemeyer, a pioneering and influential modern architect from Brazil. He designed the capital city of Brasilia and, in collaboration with Le Corbusier, created the United Nations headquarters in New York. The Niemeyer house, recently saved from demolition, is purported to be the only private residence that he designed in the United States. Some of the modern furniture he designed remains in the house.
One house on the tour features an outstanding collection of Art Deco decorative arts with an extensive collection of Lalique glass and Deco furniture. Another has interesting movie memorabilia of an eminent film director, now deceased, whose wife still resides in the home. The tour includes a self-guided brochure identifying houses on the street which were built by other noteworthy architects. Participants may walk along the street and view them from the sidewalk. Light refreshments will be served in one of the gardens.
Tickets for the tour are $50 per person. Street parking is available on the surrounding blocks.
The tour is sponsored by Save Our Neighborhoods, a group that mounted a successful campaign against Proposition A, the anti-landmarks measure in Santa Monica this past spring, as well as the Santa Monica and Los Angeles Conservancies. Proceeds will be used to defray the group’s remaining campaign expenses. Any excess funds raised will go to the Santa Monica Conservancy. For reservations and information, call (310) 399-4692.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 11, 2003. Read the original PDF.