​     The Monrovia Historical Society will be unveiling the newly-restored Anderson House Museum at an open house on Sunday, February 19th 2-4 pm. It is a chance for all to have loved this 1886 home to re-appreciate its splendor. 
     The Historical Society Board, volunteers, and craftspeople have spent several years restoring falling plaster, stripping wallpaper, removing mystery furniture from the storage room, painting, replacing the porch, the roof, the gate and fence, planting a new rose garden, washing, ironing, polishing and dusting, and adding new furnishings. They have always strived to use methods and materials authentic to the era of the home.
     Now it’s time for you to come enjoy it!  You’re encouraged to bring friends, especially those who may not know about the Anderson House and its unique role in Monrovia, which you can read here.
Date:  Sunday, February 19th 2-4 pm
           Ribbon-cutting at 2:15 pm!!
Theme:  Unveiling of the recent restoration work
Place:  The George H. Anderson House, 215 E Lime
Refreshments will be provided.  RSVPs are not necessary.   Admission is free and all are welcome.
     If you have questions, please contact Sandy Burud, President of the Monrovia Historical Society at monroviahistoricalsociety1896@gmail.com.     You can learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society on its website here.

On August 4, 2022, at 7 pm, there will be a film screening and panel discussion that investigates the history of how women overcame segregation and gender discrimination to build fulfilling lives for themselves and generations to come on America’s most beloved road.
Admission to the event is free and will include light refreshments, including complimentary beer generously provided by Mother Road Brewing Company.
The event will be held at the Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. If you are interested, please RSVP by going to: https://www.petersen.org/events/route66. 
​

Did you know that the month of May is local, state and national preservation month? We hope you will join us in celebrating by becoming a member of the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group (MOHPG). If you join during the month of May, you will receive two free walking tour vouchers to MOHPG's monthly historic walking tour of Old Town Monrovia! 
 
Your membership dues help support our mission of preserving Monrovia's architectural heritage. MOHPG has been advocating for the preservation of Monrovia's character and charm for more than 40 years and has helped save many notable landmarks including: the Library Park fountain, the Box Jewelers street clock, and Monrovia's oldest carriage barn. 
 
Join today to receive special invitations to exclusive member programs, plus two tickets to our monthly walking tour.  Just click on the "Membership" menu option to the left.

​  Monrovia lost one of its most ardent supporters of historic preservation when Steve Baker, city treasurer and cherished historian, passed away on Monday, April 4, 2022, from complications of pneumonia. Steve spent virtually his whole life in Monrovia and still lived in the 1887 Victorian formerly owned by his grandparents and then his parents. 
 Steve's knowledge of local history was nonpareil, and his ability to recall from memory even the most inconsequential of facts set him apart from all others. He was the "go to" guy when it came to identifying vintage photos or reconciling the differences in historic documents or simply providing the answer to a question about the city or its history. His participation on the boards of civic organizations and nonprofits was a service to the community he felt compelled to undertake, even when it stretched the limits of his available time.
​
To say he will be missed would be, for those who knew him, an obvious understatement. A service of remembrance will be held at Steve's church, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 122 California Ave in Monrovia on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at 3:30 pm. The public is invited.

The MOHPG Board of Directors voted on Sunday, March 6, to cancel its plans for a virtual home tour this year. It had proven impossible to secure enough homes to guarantee the quality and variety our tour goers have come to expect with our tours. The first tour was held in 1983, and this annual event has come to recognized as one of the more important events in the community each year, drawing hundreds of residents and visitors to catch a peek inside some of Monrovia's outstanding vintage homes.

What circumstances led to this house, deemed the finest house in all of Monrovia when it was built, being torn down in the 1960s? There is so much to learn about the city in which you live, and you will have an opportunity to acquire some of that history on Saturday, February 5, at 10 am. The Monrovia Historic Preservation Group will lead another two-hour journey tracing the town’s history from its origins to the present day. Cost is $5 per person. Meet at the SE corner of Myrtle and Palm Avenues.

The 2021 MOHPG Virtual Home Tour is almost here! If you would like to watch the tour (Seven homes will be visited plus there is an introductory video; the videos can be watched anytime from May 1-9, 2021), you must register for the tour. An optional $20 donation is requested when you register.
To register go to: https://2021mohpghometour.eventbrite.com
NOTE: It is possible to register until the last day , May 9!
A flipbook brochure is also available for free - it contains house histories about each of the seven homes on tour. To view the brochure (or download a PDF of it), click here.​
Need more information? Watch the trailer below.

With concerns over the coronavirus pandemic still uppermost in people's minds, the MOHPG Board of Directors has elected to make this year's Historic Homes Tour a virtual experience. Those who sign up to view the videos of the homes (Each home will be presented in a separate video) will be able to watch the videos anytime from 9 am on May 1 until 9 pm on May 9. Because the pandemic has been a financial burden for so many, MOHPG is asking for a $20 donation to view the videos but payment is up to each individual.
Watch for further updates and information on how to signup to view the videos in the coming weeks.

Longtime MOHPG member Jim Constantian has recently made a donation of 73 books to be added to the MOHPG book collection at the Monrovia Public Library. This will bring the collection to over 300 books on topics such as paint colors, home restoration techniques, etc. To see a listing of the books donated, click here.
​It will probably be a few months before the library staff has time to inventory the collection and add it to the book rack. 

Like so many other events and cherished traditions (Our Historic Homes Tour is a notable example), MOHPG has found it necessary to cancel the 4th annual earthquake workshop that was scheduled to be held on September 12. 
Assuming a semblance of return to normal by 2021, we hope to once again offer the workshop to the community. Advance notice will be given on this website if we are able once again to present strategies for coping with a devastating earthquake.