Preserve What We Love
Altadena Heritage was founded in the early 1980s, when many beautiful old homes and mansions were being demolished and replaced with tract developments, placing our community’s architectural heritage in peril. Members at the time did a comprehensive survey of the existing pre-war homes, and conducted research on builders and architects. This information was encoded in a searchable database kept in our office along with a trove of old real estate documents, enabling those who want to research their houses to find this information.
Old Marengo Park was developed as a joint project of the Altadena Watershed Committee, the Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy, and Altadena Heritage. The park, which is now unirrigated, provides a colorful, shady refuge, as well as a habitat for birds and insects. Altadena Heritage does regular park maintenance, and last summer shared the expense of tree-trimming with the Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy. Anyone interested in joining our Park Maintenance Team
Owen Brown Preservation
Big News: Owen Brown Gravesite Land Acquisition Watch the video and learn the back story. Back in the late 1980s, Altadena Heritage made the leap from committee of the Town Council to independent 501(c)(3). The mission: to protect and preserve Altadena’s...
AHAD: Altadena Heritage Architecture Database
Altadena Heritage was founded in the early 1980s, when many beautiful old homes and mansions were being demolished and replaced with tract developments, placing our community’s architectural heritage in peril. Members at the time did a comprehensive survey of the existing pre-war homes, and conducted research on builders and architects.
Old Marengo Park Clean-Up and Beautification
In late March, Altadena Heritage Board members Mark Goldschmidt, David Mosher, Nancy Romero, Michele Zack and John Zoraster removed weeds and an outbreak of prickly Russian thistles, and spread mulch to control weeds and retain moisture. Passers-by may notice a wonderful show of California poppies now in the park, as well as blooming redbud trees. The park anchors and enhances the new adjacent Woodbury Median Project, which uses a similar tree palette of California oaks and redbuds, along with native grasses.
Promote Sustainable Living
In 2009, Altadena Heritage launched Heritage of Abundance, a series of lectures and workshops that educate its residents on a variety of sustainable living topics. Altadena Heritage invited local experts to lead talks on topics reflecting Altadena Heritage’s core preservation and community education efforts.
Featured topics have included urban homesteading, growing backyard fruit, the benefits of preserving and restoring historic windows, and more.