By Daily Press staff
Nearly 100 members turned out for the Santa Monica Conservancy’s third annual meeting last month at Hotel Casa del Mar, which featured a presentation on the renovation of the historic building.
In addition to the presentation, the event also included an open forum on city-wide preservation issues and elections to the Conservancy’s board of directors.
Renewed for another term are: Ken Breisch, director of the graduate program in historic preservation at the University of Southern California; Bruce Cameron, who also serves on the board of the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau; Tom Cleys, a real estate developer and current treasurer of the Conservancy; and John Zinner, a former member of the city’s planning and housing commissions. First-time board member, Marcello Vavala, also is active with the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Modern Committee and leads downtown LA walking tours.
The Conservancy’s board of directors meets monthly to set policies, track programs and projects, and govern the organization. Directors and officers also chair and serve as members on the Conservancy’s many committees, which are responsible for most of the organization’s work. Board members are elected to three-year terms. For more information, visit www.smconservancy.org, or call (310) 485-0399.
Also in conservancy news: The Santa Monica Conservancy will host an illustrated talk entitled “Revelations of Phillips Chapel C.M.E. Church — Forgotten History in Santa Monica” as part of the centennial celebration of Phillips Chapel, on Feb. 26, at 2 p.m. at the landmarked chapel, 2001 Fourth St. The featured speaker will be Alison Jefferson, a master’s degree candidate in historic preservation at the University of Southern California.
The history of the chapel is rooted in the story of African-Americans in Santa Monica and their many contributions to the city’s history and culture. Jefferson researched the church and the African-American community in Santa Monica as part of her studies in historic preservation. She and Reverend James C. Raymond, Jr., pastor of Phillips Chapel, initiated the process of securing historic landmark designation for the chapel.
The building housing the church was originally a s c h o o l h o u s e that the church acquired and moved to its present site in 1908. One of the chapel’s notable features is its 11 stained-glass windows commemorating some of the prominent families who attended the church.
The cost for church and Santa Monica Conservancy members is $10; non-members, $15. Tickets will be sold at the door. Parking is available on the street and in nearby lots on Main Street. For more information: (310) 485-0399.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 18, 2006. Read the original PDF.