2024 Impact Statement (2024 in review)

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After successful (sold-out) tours of the Elks Lodge in late 2023, Conservancy projects in 2024 focused on nominating Washington Elementary School to the National Register of Historic Places and lots of behind-the-scenes advocating and letter writing ✉️. The first two State Historic Resource Commission deliberations for Washington School in Sacramento in August and November were twice rescheduled for public notice deficiencies on the part of the Office of Historic Preservation. The hearing date will be February 7, 2025. 

Conservancy president Stephen Schafer will attend and advocate for listing, and we feel confident that the historic midtown Ventura school will this time be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources on the 100th anniversary of its 1925 construction. While School District Staff still oppose the nomination, approval for listing is eminent. The National Register listing will incentivize adaptive reuse of the school buildings, unlock tax-credits, and preserve the character of the neighborhood while disincentivizing speculative demolition.

Preservation is about people, and the community really, really came out for Washington School. Owners (stewards) of landmarks listed their Ventura County properties on local registers; both the Scarlett-McGrath House (1869, below) on the Oxnard Plain and the Bell Canyon Equestrian Center (1968) were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Ventura County in 2024 with supporting comments from the Conservancy. In 2024, representatives from the Conservancy Board of Directors attended, commented and advocated for preservation at the City of Ventura Historic Preservation Committee (HPC), the Ojai Historic Preservation Commission, the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, the Ventura Unified School Board meetings, various community council meetings and at the Ventura City Council. The Conservancy made written comments supporting preservation on CalTrans projects in Ventura, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Oxnard, at CSUCI and in Bardsdale.

In the City of Ventura, the most important preservation project of the decade(s) has been the first-ever Citywide Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory (survey) 📖. The Conservancy has been working with City of Ventura staff and the HPC to ensure that all historic properties in Ventura are identified. This is the first time Midtown has ever been surveyed. This should make preservation easier for people who want to create historic districts and invest in historic buildings while also protecting identified resources from unnecessary demolition or insensitive development.

2024 was another year when adaptive reuse played a large part in the rehabilitation of historic buildings in the Downtown Ventura core. The adaptively preserved Mission Hotel on Oak and E. Santa Clara was completed. The restoration plan for the Top Hat at 299 E. Main Street was submitted and approved by the HPC. 2024 saw developers purchase properties in midtown and downtown Ventura for restoration, rehabilitation and reuse. One of our core missions is championing adaptive reuse, and it seems investors have begun to see preservation as profitable 💵. While malls have lost popularity, authentic places and sensitive remodels have become popular while also being environmentally responsible. Investing in architectural heritage and reusing historic buildings rather than demolishing and rebuilding is suddenly cool. Who knew? (We knew 😉) We like to remind people: “The greenest building is one that’s already built.” -Carl Elefante.

Besides the loss of the Santa Paula Firehouse which was demolished this year (despite lobbying by the Conservancy) no unnecessary demolitions of historic buildings were proposed. To celebrate our gains (and moderate our losses) we had three Heritage Happy Hours at Gloria's Kitchen in Ventura to meet with the community without agendas (and with frosty Margaritas 🍹).

A message from the President of the SBC4P

As 2024 moves into the history books, I wonder what people will find significant in 100 years? I hope Ventura County in 2124 still has the San Buenaventura Conservancy for Preservation to advocate for cultural resources that define our communities. 2025 looks to be another positive year for preservation, with the Washington School listing eminent, nomination of the Hardison House in Santa Paula to the National Register, rebuilding of Ventura's Main Street Bridge, rehabilitation of the Pierpont Inn, a grassroots plan to nominate some of Ojai’s most historic districts to the National Register, rehabilitation of the Scholle Farmhouse in Camarillo (finally), and the adoption of the citywide Ventura Historic Context and Survey.

Please consider a gift equaling just a dollar a month, or a week, or a day to protect our heritage and support the work of the Conservancy. We are Candid/Guidestar GOLD rated. 100% of your tax-deductible check or donation on our secure website [ https://sbconservancy.org/donate ] promotes preservation in Ventura County. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and continued support. Wishing you a Historic New Year!

-Stephen Schafer President, San Buenaventura Conservancy for Preservation. 1-1-2025

VENTURA ARCHITECTURE WEEKENDS (November 12-13, 2004 and November 4-6, 2005)

Barbara Kronewitter, a member of the Historic Committee of the Midtown Ventura Community Council, started the ball rolling. In 2002, she suggested to her committee that they sponsor a small home tour in Midtown, where there are an exceptional number of 1920’s and 1930’s homes in pristine condition. Barbara soon involved Cynthia Thompson, who was in charge of restoration projects at The Pierpont Inn, a historic Craftsman hotel. The Historic Committee of the Downtown Community Council was the next group to become involved. They had just formed, with Donna DePaola as the chairperson, and were looking for their first community project.

With the full support of their community council boards, these two committees, plus several other volunteers, formed the Ventura Architecture Weekend Committee and spent the next 18 months planning an event which expanded to include a Gala at City Hall, two days of home tours plus a period exposition and vanishing arts exhibits at The Pierpont Inn. There was no budget so many initial expenses were paid by committee members from their personal funds. Members also solicited cash donations, services, and goods from the community. Kathy McGuire donated the use of one of her paintings for the advertising. The community’s enthusiasm and willingness to assist in putting on this event were quite overwhelming. It was obviously the right idea at the right time.

The core committee members (founders) who put on the first event were Holly and Jerry Breiner, Donna DePaola, Barbara Evans, John Jones, Barbara Kronewitter, Suzanne Lawrence, Holley Gene and Mick Leffler, Tracy Long, Kathy McGuire, Genaro Morteo, Mindy Nickler, Dorothea Phelan, Brian Randall, Margaret Travers, and Cynthia Thompson. In addition to this group, more than 150 other volunteers helped to make this event a great success..

Other organizations that committed their time, energy, and resources to producing this first Architecture Weekend were: the City of San Buenaventura (Community Development and Cultural Affairs), Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, The Ventura County Arts Council, Ventura Magazine, Murphy Auto Museum, Ventura County Museum, the Ventura Music Festival, and Consortium Media Services. In addition, another 80 individuals and businesses contributed services, goods, and cash. A much-appreciated angel was MainStreet Architects. Their substantial cash donation at a crucial moment was greatly appreciated and enabled us to tackle our work with renewed spirits.

The foresight and inspiration of the initial committee, coupled with the hard work and dedication of many volunteers, were validated by an overwhelmingly successful inaugural weekend.

OUR TIME LINE SINCE

Tours/events:

Old Washington Hotel Tour

Charles Phoenix lectures (8/2005)

Valentine For Ventura: Harry S Valentine House Tour (2/28/2007)

Midtown Home & Garden Tour/Earth Day Expo (4/19/2008)

The Pioneer Plaque (2/25/2009)

Upstairs-Downtown Tour (Passport Series 1/16/2009)

Downtown Underground (Passport Series 1/17/2009)

Sole to Soul Church Tour – Architectural Tour of Spiritual Place (11/06/2010)

A Mission Statement: Mission District/Chapel/School/Rectory (11/5/2011)

Ivy Lawn Memorial Park advocacy (10/2015)

Hotel San Buena/Elks Tour (9/2023) 

Legal Advocacy:

Foster House

Ventura Cemetery

Mayfair Theater

Willett Ranch date

Wagon Wheel date

Hardison House in partnership with the Santa Paula Conservancy date

Scholle House Camarillo (2010-present)

Other Advocacy: 

Top Hat

Mission Hotel, 87 S Oak (7/2022)

Washington School (8/12/2022 to present)

Ventura College United Methodist Church (10/2022)

W P Daily House, Camarillo (11/2022)

Ventura Savings & Loan (2017-2020)

VUSD surplus properties (1/2023)

Pierpont (2/2023 to present)

Ventura Fairgrounds/Pacific Sports (2/2023)

Cal Fed Building, Oxnard (5/2023)

Timber School, Thousand Oaks (8/2023)

Historic Japanese Cemetery, Oxnard (8/2023)

Santa Paula Fire Station (11/2023)