Historical Landmark West Covina Near Me

4worldlovers: Covina has two museums, both operated by the Covina Valley Historical Society.

Built in 1911, the firehouse-jail was the first civic building in the City of Covina. It now houses the Covina Firehouse/Jail Museum, located adjacent to City Hall at 125 East College Street. It is open every Sunday, except holidays, from 1 to 3 pm and by appointment. It is staffed by volunteers with the Covina Valley Historical Society, who guide tours and answer questions.

The Historic Heritage House, located on the west side of Covina Park at Fourth and Badillo Streets, is open the fourth Sunday of each month, except holidays, from 1 to 3 pm.

For further information on either of the museums, please contact the Covina Valley Historical Society at (626) 966-9871.

Also, if you're interested in Covina history, don't miss seeing "Vintage Years", a a photographic exhibit Covina before 1950, located at Covina City Hall. You can journey into Covina's past by viewing 130 rare photographs that depict the history of Covina from 1846 to 1950.

4worldlovers:
The Taylor House at Heritage Park (3510 Cameron Avenue) is a 1912 Craftsman style farmhouse that has been restored to its historical beauty in the community.

The original site of Taylor House, located north of Workman Avenue and Orange Avenue was part of lands acquired by John Rowland and William Workman from the Mission San Gabriel in 1852 and was known as the Ranch La Puente.

The Ranch was later divided by the partners with Workman taking that portion which now encompasses the western action of West Covina. In 1875, due to bankruptcy, his holdings went to Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin who held it until after the turn of the twentieth century when he began selling "subdivisions". The parcel of land which contained the House site was part of his "fourth subdivision".

By 1911 the land was owned by Emma L. Godfrey and her husband, F. A. Godfrey and on January 6th of that year they sold a portion of it to J.J. Conner. Conner and his wife, Kate, then sold the land to William F. Noyes and his wife, Stella, on October 18, 1912 and the mortgage was held by one Joseph Miller of Long Beach. On September 19, 1913, Mr. and Mrs. Noyes sold ten acres to Almo R. Taylor and his wife, Laura. It was they who built the Taylor House.

The Taylors, along with their neighbors, the Roots, Langs, and E. Machida, deeded portions of their lands on June 6, 1914 to Los Angeles County for "public road and highway purposes".

The next recorded incident concerning the land and house occurred on November 13, 1928 when the Superior Court of Los Angeles County terminated the Joint tenancy of Laura Taylor due to her death on June 28, 1928. Then on May 20, 1933, Almo Taylor put the title of the property in the name of his second wife, M. Genevieve Taylor.

On May 23, 1957 the Taylors finally sold all their remaining property to Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Morley who raised their family in the house for over thirty years and then gave the House to the City in 1992 when it was then moved to its present site in Heritage Garden Park.

The history of the parkland is more difficult to trace, but it is known that Leland Mekeel purchased it sometime in 1951 from a gentleman named Fredricks.

Horses were boarded on it for a number of years and in 1970 Mr. Mekeel sold the land to Covina Unified School District for a proposed middle school. Because the school district changed its plans the 15-acre site was sold to the City of West Covina in 1976.

The Taylor House, itself, is a Craftsman Style home, the architecture that was representative of the Arts and Craft Movement. This artistic movement dates from the 1880's in England as well as other parts of Europe and is a response to the Industrial Revolution and its machine-made goods and to the extremes of the gingerbread and fussiness of the Victorian era.

In the United States this style is variously known as Prairie, Mission or Craftsman Style and can be recognized by the sense of space and openness with an emphasis on horizontal line as opposed to the many storied homes of the past. Quality materials often found on site or native to the region were used in construction. The building was closely related to its site by the use of both design and location. A fireplace was central to the interior design, as the hearth was believed to be central to the heart of family life as was the dining room. Heavy dark woodwork that was square and rustic was to be found throughout the home.

The Arts and Craft Movement was embraced by all segments of society. The wealthy had their homes designed by such well-known architects as Frank Lloyd Wright of Greene and Greene. Low-income families could build their homes from kits purchased from Sears and Roebuck or Aladdin. The middle class turned to Gustav Stickley (1858 to 1942) and plans that were published by his magazine, The Craftsman. Those plans could be modified to meet particular requirements of the homeowner and be constructed by local builders with local materials.

4worldlovers: Anna J. Martin Park covers two acres and is a passive park with play equipment and a picnic area. This neighborhood park offers beauty and serenity for those seeking a peaceful environment. Fun play equipment is available for smaller children.

Behringer Athletic Facility North covers nine and a half acres featuring four lighted softball fields and two lighted overlay soccer fields. Behringer Athletic Facility South covers ten acres and includes four Little League fields (two of which are lighted), two lighted senior fields, and three overlay soccer fields (two of which are lighted). Behringer is a popular location for enjoying youth sports throughout the year.

Creek Park covers 26 acres along the La Mirada flood control channel. The eastern end of this creatively designed passive park features a fire ring and an amphitheater that accommodates up to 65 individuals. A horse arena is located to the west. Creek Park's lush green grass, rolling topography, and beautiful trees combine to bring contentment to visitors. Creek Park is the perfect setting for a peaceful morning jog or a family picnic. Each July, Creek Park is home to the popular “Stroll in the Park”. This event features food booths and musical entertainment. The amphitheater is open to the public by reservation.

The City of La Mirada recently approved a Master Plan to improve Creek Park. Built in the 1970's, the park is in need of infrastructure improvements, renovations and enhanced ADA accessibility. For the most updated information on the Creek Park Master Plan, click here.

Frontier Park covers six acres and is a passive park with play equipment and picnic areas. This neighborhood park has beautiful green grass, and lovely trees. The park offers a fine location for a family picnic or a game of basketball. Future improvements planned for Frontier Park include a new Community Building, tetherball, and handball area.

Gardenhill Park covers six acres and features a community room, an amphitheater that accommodates up to 65 individuals, two lighted tennis courts, a lighted basketball court, a playground, a horseshoe pit, and picnic areas. The mature trees help to make this park a quiet setting. The facilities offer friends and families a location for recreational games and sports. The community building is used for Tiny Tots and is designed to provide a location for meetings, classes, and similar activities. The playground offers tiny tot and older children’s play apparatus.

The La Mirada Gymnasium covers 20,000 square feet and includes one full-size regulation high school basketball court and two smaller courts that can be converted into three volleyball and badminton courts. Adult and youth leagues are offered throughout the year, and open gym time is available at various times. A multi-purpose room is used for senior exercise and special classes. Click here for Gymnasium Activities.

Regional Park covers 100 acres and is owned and maintained by Los Angeles County. It has multiple recreational uses which include lighted softball fields, lighted tennis courts, handball courts, several disc golf courses, a swimming pool, numerous playgrounds, and picnic areas. The park features beautiful green hills, mature trees, and a serene lake.

La Mirada Regional Park offers a wide range of recreational opportunities to the community. For further information, call 800-404-5888.

Los Coyotes covers ten acres and includes four youth baseball fields, two lighted football/soccer overlay fields, and two lighted senior fields. This active sports field plays an important role in meeting the recreational needs of the community.

Neff Park covers ten acres and includes three historic buildings, a gazebo, basketball court, tennis court, horseshoes pits, a playground, and picnic areas. The historic buildings include: Neff Home, George House, and Neff Barn. The Neff Barn, which displays an extensive collection of historic memorabilia, is used for group reservations, meetings, summer and holiday day camps, and special events. The gazebo can also be reserved for special ceremonies, and the sport facilities are open play.

This lovely stretch of passive parkland, which extends southwesterly from Creek Park, is perfect for a quiet stroll. Oak Creek Park is located south of Imperial Highway and east of La Mirada Boulevard.